News, Articles, Blogs - NBT

NBT and Elveflow are collaborating in Israel in the Microfluidics field

nadav — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 14:26:16 +0000

We now have the capability to serve the Microfluidics field with the best solutions in the market, coming from Elveflow

Elveflow products overview video

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recoveriX results: Improving motor functions 24 years after stroke BY g.Tec

nadav — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 19:47:48 +0000

Anita Rebernik had a stroke 24 years ago when she was 27 years old. The stroke affected here left side. Read the interview with Christoph Guger who explains the patient’s improvements and the importance of a high accuracy during recoverix therapy.

Sarah Breinbauer: How were her functional scales before the recoveriX therapy?

Christoph Guger: “Mrs. Rebernik had a Fugl-Meyer Scale for Upper Extremities of 39 points out of 66. The upper extremity function had 19 points, the wrist 7 points, hand function had 9 points and coordination and speed had 4 points. The lower limb Fugl-Meyer Scale was 26 before the therapy.”

Sarah Breinbauer: recoveriX is only instructing the patient to imagine left and right hand dorsiflexion, then it stimulates the muscles with a functional electrical stimulator and shows the left and right hand movement in form of an avatar. Why do you also make the Fugl-Meyer Score for Lower Extremities.

Christoph Guger: “Patients are also showing improvements of lower limb functions, while we are only treating upper limbs. But the left and right hand movement imagination activates both hemispheres and the foot region is exactly between the left and right sensorimotor cortex.”

Video: Interview with Mrs. Rebernik during recoveriX therapy

Sarah Breinbauer: How was the recoveriX therapy done?

Christoph Guger: “Mrs. Rebernik did the usual 25 recoveriX sessions each lasting 40 min training time. She reached in the first session about 85% classification accuracy which shows that she was motivated and doing the task correctly. Her grand average accuracy was 92.2% for all the 25 sessions. This is a very important results because we know from our group study that patients that have an accuracy above 80% improve on average in 8 points in Fugl-Meyer Score.”

Sarah Breinbauer: Did you also see differences in the EEG patterns after the 25 sessions?

Christoph Guger: “Her event-related desynchronization maps show more activation on the right side. The right side of the brain is responsible for the control of the left hand that was affected by the stroke. We found more activation in the alpha and beta range of the EEG and a faster onset of the event-related desynchronization. These parameters objectively show that the brain learned to perform the left and hand movement imagination correctly and that the speed was improved.”

Sarah Breinbauer: Are you looking also at other EEG parameters beside the event-related desynchronization?

Christoph Guger: “We are also using our mindBEAGLE system before and after the therapy. The mindBEAGLE system is a brain-computer interface system that allows to assess brain functions. We are running auditory P300 (AEP), vibro-tactile P300 (VTP) and motor imagery (MI) experiments. The P300 is an EEG marker for attention and each tests needs between 2.5 min to 8 min of time. We are also using the BCI classification accuracy as parameter of how good a patient can do the task. In her case the auditory P300 paradigm reached 100% which shows that the patient has attention and can discriminate low from high tones. The vibro-tactile P300 assessment also showed 100% accuracy which show that the patient’s brain is able to concentrate on stimuli of the right or left hand correctly.”

Figure: mindBEAGLE Assessment with Mrs Rebernik showing virbo-tactile P300 improvement for left and right hand stimulation after recoveriX therapy.

Sarah Breinbauer: How was the final outcome for Mrs. Rebernik?

Christoph Guger: “Mrs. Rebernik improved her total Fugl-Meyer Scale by 11 points to 50 in total. The upper extremity function improved by 7 points to 26. Wrist function stayed constant, hand function improved by 3 points to 12 and coordination and speed improved by 1 point to 5. The lower limb Fugl-Meyer Score improved by 3 points to 29. Beside that the patient improved also her Barthel index to the maximum of 100 points and reduced the Fahn Tremor scale from 5 to 2 which is a very nice result.”

Figure: Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Lower Extremity of Mrs. Rebernik

Figure: Mean accuracy of recoveriX therapy

Christoph Guger: “This shows again that it is very important to get the accuracy above 80%. Mrs. Rebernik even improved the Fugl-Meyer Scale by 11 points within only about 15 hours of training and this was achieved 24 years after the stroke.”

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MEA Multiwell Applications BY MCS

nadav — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 10:48:44 +0000

Overview

The Multiwell-MEA-System is designed to run simple, standardized experiments with high throughput, and analyze all replicates in one go. The Multiwell-MEAs are best suited for neuronal or cardiac cells, either primary or derived from stem cells.

Substance Screening

The main focus of the system is substance screening. Dose response curves for single or multiple compounds are managed and automatically documented by our Multiwell-Screen software. Different concentrations can be applied cumulatively to a single well, or individually to a number of wells. Preliminary result reports for each experiment are generated at the end of each experiment and saved together with the data. See the Software section for more details about the analysis parameters.

Cell Type Screening

Instead of applying new compounds to established cells, it’s also possible to screen new or modified cell types for their spontaneous activity or reaction to established substances. The flexible experiment layout enables experiments with multiple cells types and multiple substances on one plate.

Electrical or Optical Stimulation

Stimulation capability is included as standard in the Multiwell-MEA-System. Electrical stimulation in any well can be easily incorporated into the experimental protocol. For optical stimulation, an optional accessory is required, but the Multiwell-Screen software comes prepared to control and integrate it into the experimental workflow.

Combined Approaches with MEA Technology

By having a standard interface board for multiple headstage options, MCS gives researchers an opportunity to cost effectively utilize both the Multiwell-MEA-System as well as the regular single well MEA2100-System. This combination offers the advantage of both approaches; high channel counts per well and experimental flexibility on the single well arrays with the possibility to scale up established assays directly to the multiwell format.

Application Notes and Culturing Protocols

Together with our partners, we have gathered helpful tips and culturing protocols for MEA electrophysiology which can be used with Multiwell-MEA plates. Please visit our download section.

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Live Cell Imaging – Application guide by ibidi

nadav — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 10:21:48 +0000

After finalizing the new application website on „Live Cell Imaging”, we also produced the corresponding Application Guide:

In this downloadable PDF document, you can find detailed information about:

Important parameters for live cell imaging
Setting up a live cell imaging experiment
Experimental examples

The document is an important educational tool for beginners and experienced users.

Good luck

The NBT Team

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Why Choose Compresstome® ?

nadav — Sat, 06 Apr 2019 18:16:56 +0000

Patented compression technology and agarose embedding process tissue and eliminates chattermarks
Slices over 5x faster than other market vibrating microtomes
Preserves surface neurons to significantly improve patch clamping results for electrophysiology
Slice thickness ranging from 4μm-2000μm
Produces free floating slices for better immunohistochemistry (IHC) – lmmunohistochemistry results
Fully automated slicing, so no more tedious cryostat cranking
Auto Zero-Z^® technology reduces z-axis deflection to <1 μm
Light footprint for increased portability

Benefits of Compression

When using the Compresstome^®, you will embed your tissue in agarose inside a specimen tube. The open end of the specimen tube has a slightly tapered edge. As tissue and agarose cross the edge of the tube, it gets slightly compressed. This compression helps stabilize the tissue during sectioning, and allows the Compresstome^® to section at speeds up to 5x faster than other market vibrating microtomes. Overall, the Compresstome^® provides a significant improvement on the health and longevity of live slices, and virtually eliminates chattermarks in fixed tissue slices.

Chattermarks

Above you can see the significant reduction in chattermarks in tissues slices produced with our Compresstome^® VF-300-0Z versus sections made by another leading market vibratome.

Electrophysiology

More than doubles the ratio of healthy-to-dead cells of acutely cut brain slices by preserving the upper surface layers of neurons.
Preserves subcellular microstructure by stabilizing tissue samples during sectioning.
Dramatically increases brain slice survival time in ACSF!
The Compresstome^® is ideal for getting healthy neurons for patch-clamp recording from mature mice (over 18+ months!). Check out www.brainslicemethods.com

Auto Zero-Z^®

Compresstome^® slicer models marked with “-0Z” mean that the model has our patented Auto Zero-Z^® technology. These vibrating heads are precisely aligned to eliminate vibrations in the Z-axis. Auto Zero-Z^® technology helps reduce damage to surface cells on live tissue samples, and further reduce chattermarks on thin sections for improved imaging results.

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When to use a Compresstome vs. Cryostat

nadav — Wed, 04 Aug 2021 10:41:01 +0000

With all sorts of tissue slice models on the market, how do you know when to use what type of instrument? In this article, we will review the most common types of tissue slicers, and discuss the best research and clinical applications of each type of equipment.

Main Types of Tissue Slicers:

A tissue slicer is used to do exactly as its name implies: to cut tissue samples! Making tissue slices of consistent and controllable thicknesses is important because it allows for biologists and clinicians to obtain a standardized sample for further processing and experiments. The main types of tissues slicers include the following:

Vibrating microtomes: This type of slicer operates by cutting using a vibrating blade at high frequencies. This allows for cutting of live tissue (although fixed tissue can also be cut). The Compresstome is a type of vibrating microtome, as is the Vibratome by Leica.

Rotary microtomes: This type of tissue slicer operates with a staged rotary action, where the knife is fixed in a horizontal position, and the specimen holder rotates and cutting is done as part of the rotary motion. These slicers can be used on paraffin wax-embedded samples, which are very hard materials.

Cryostats: Also known as a “cryomicrotome,” cryostats are used to cut frozen samples. Typically, tissue samples are embedded in OCT media, which when frozen allows the hardness of the sample to be greatly increased. These slicers are used for both academic research and for doing biopsy analyses during surgery.

Ultramicrotome: These slicers allow preparation of extremely thin slices, and functions similarly to a rotary microtome. However, there is very careful mechanical construction which allows for very fine control of the cutting thickness. These slicers are used to obtain slices for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBFSEM).

Here’s a summary of the applications of when and what to use for specific tissue slicer types.

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Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) – From the Noldus Blog

nadav — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 13:45:20 +0000

JACQUELINE MARTINALI

THURSDAY, 28 FEBRUARY, 2019

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an evidence-based treatment program for children with emotional and behavioral problems and their parents. The program aims to improve the quality of the parent-child relationship, and to change parent-child interactionpatterns. As a result, both the child’s behavioral problems and parents’ stress level are reduced.

PCIT improves parent-child relationships

To start, parents in this treatment program learn more about the relationship enhancement and discipline skills that they will be practicing in therapy sessions in an observation lab and at home with their child. PCIT includes a combination of play therapy and behavioral therapy.

PCIT helps improve family dynamics by working to reduce negative behavior and interactions, and to practice new behaviors and ways of communicating that are more encouraging and reassuring. When practiced consistently, these new skills and techniques can instill more confidence, reduce anger and aggression, and encourage better individual and interactive behavior in both parent and child.

Conducting research on parent-child interactions

Early in life, children are not capable of filling out a complete questionnaire or talking to an interviewer. In that case, observing behavior can provide valuable information in combination with parental interviews.

Several of our customers have focused their research on parent-child interactions. They performed their studies in either a laboratory setting or a natural setting, such as a family home, to measure the behavior of the parents and their children. In both settings, the researchers recorded the interactions on video and coded behaviors in detail. By using video recordings, researchers did not lose any information and were able to replay the same scene as often as needed.

WHITE PAPER: HOW TO BUILD AN OBSERVATION LAB

An observation lab is designed to allow you to observe your test participants unobtrusively, in an environment similar to your test participant’s natural surroundings. To get off to a good start, it is best to describe the research or tests in great detail.

Download this free ‘how to’ guide to learn more about building an observation lab.

Free white paper

In-home video recordings provide accurate measure

For example, Lisa Edelson and colleagues from the Nestlé Research Center in Sweden studied how parents’ prompts to eat fruits and vegetables relate to children’s intake of these foods. The research team studied videos taken in an in-home setting. By using portable recording devices, the researchers were able to observe the parent-child interactions in natural settings without the disruptive influence of having observers physically present in the room.

The study showed that parents who gave neutral prompts such as ‘eat your peas’ or ‘try your hot dog’ with a neutral or positive tone of voice were most successful.

Teaching parents to use new parenting skills

The key to successful interventions is the use of modifiable parenting practices. In the randomized controlled study by Montaño et al., researchers examined the relationship between positive behavior support (PBS) and dietary quality of the meals served to children between the ages of two and five years old, a critical period for the development of a dietary lifestyle.

Part of the study consisted of observing parent-child interaction while carrying out various tasks, including free play and cleaning up, followed by meal preparation. The main purpose of the study was assessing parenting behavior.

Ways to support parent-child interaction

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, conducted a study to explore the frequency and characterize the purpose of props used during mealtimes with children with autism. Props are items that support child participation during mealtime, such as toys, typically child-friendly items, or common household objects.

Mealtime videos were uploaded into The Observer XT. Hereby, coders were able to review, visualize, and independently code observational data in the coding software. The study showed that props such as toys could help to calm a child and provide comfort, or support the child’s focus. In some families, props were also used as a reward to reinforce positive eating or mealtime behavior.

TRY THE OBSERVER XT FOR YOURSELF

Request a FREE trial and see for yourself how easy behavioral research can be!

Work faster by automating tedious repeating tasks
Reduce costs by achieving more with less people
Get better data by using The Observer XT’s powerful analysis options

Request Free Trial

Encouraging more parent-child joint talk

The need to observe parent-child interactions in natural settings has been stressed by many researchers. An exhibit designed specifically for children is therefore ideal as a research setting. The team from Loyola University in Chicago chose a museum as the setting for their experimental and observational research. They examined the effects of parent-child conversation and object manipulation on children’s learning, transfer of knowledge, and memory of the exhibit.

The invention resulted in more parent-child joint talk. Although children can learn a great deal on their own, conversations with parents have a big influence on the content, recall, and transfer of what they learn.

Behavioral Research Blog | Noldus

In this blog post, I have highlighted a number of studies conducted by some of our customers. These studies focused mostly on mealtime behaviors. If you are interested in reading more or about different topics, please have a look at our Behavioral Research Blog, or find some interesting publications in the list below.

Publications

Dishion, T.J.; Mun, C.J.; Drake, E.C.; Tein, J.Y.; Shaw, D.S. & Wilson, M. (2015). A transactional approach to preventing early childhood neglect: The Family Check-Up as a public health strategy. Development and Psychopathology, 27, 1647-1660.

Talbott, M.R.; Nelson, C.A.; Tager-Flusberg, H. (2013). Maternal Gesture Use and Language Development in Infant Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 1-11.

Thomassin, K.; Suveg, C. (2014). Reciprocal positive affect and well- regulated, adjusted children: A unique contribution of fathers. Parenting: Science and Practice, 14 (1), 28-46.

Weisman, O.; Zagoory-Sharon, O.; Feldman, R. (2014). Oxytocin administration, salivary testosterone, and father-infant social behavior. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, 49, 47-52.

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Short separation channels: the new trend in fNIRS – from the Artinis Blog

nadav — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 13:20:38 +0000

Short separation channels: the new trend in fNIRS

BRITE, OCTAMON, OXYMON

In this blog, we will explore the current use and advantage of short separation channels. We will clarify the reason why researchers apply short channels and give insight into the number of short channels that can be used. A brief example of the implementation of a short channel for your data analysis in OxySoft will be given. Additionally, we provide a convenient overview of our devices which are compatible with short separation channels.

Short separation channels are the new trend in fNIRS. However, what is the functionality of such a short separation channel? Quite counter-intuitively, we will start by discussing the long channel. A long channel (also referred as deep channel) has a relative large interoptode distance and thereby is able to measure the concentration changes in hemoglobin relative deep in the tissue. Based on the principles of photon migration, the maximum measuring depth is approximately half the interoptode distance. For example, a distance of 30 mm between transmitter and receiver means you can measure 15 mm deep. By using a long, deep channel you can measure optical changes in the human brain. Since hemoglobin is the main absorber, fNIRS can measure the concentration changes of oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin.

The local hemoglobin change in human tissue consists of many different signal component; e.g. hemodynamic responses, blood pressure waves, Mayer waves, respirational changes, cardiac cycle (Zhang et al., 2007). Research focusses mainly on the hemodynamic response component of this signal. To eliminate the other signal components, one needs to filter the acquired signal.

A new strategy for isolating the hemodynamic response signal involves short separation channels. A short separation channel measures solely the extracerebral signals (Figure 1), which includes blood pressure waves, Mayer waves, respiration and cardiac cycles. The signal components of the short separation channel can be seen as the “noise” in the signal of the long channel (Brigadoi and Cooper, 2015). By removing these components from the long channel, you can minimize this noise.

Figure 1: Measuring depth of a long channel and a short separation channel

There are many different methods and algorithms to analyze a short separation channel. An easy method is to subtract the short channel from your long channel. In figure 2, an example of the correction of a long channel using short channel data of a fingertipping task in Oxysoft is given. Other more advanced analysis methods are using a static estimator, adaptive least mean square method (Sato et al., 2016) or a Kalman filter (Scarpa et al., 2013).

Figure 2: Reduction in physiological “noise” by subtracting short separation channel (extracerebral) data from long channel (extracerebral + intracerebral)

Furthermore, you should consider the number of short separation channel you would like to implement in your fNIRS system. There are several possibilities for short separation channels (SSC).

Local: Use one SSC for each long channel
Symmetrical-local: Use one SSC for each symmetrical channel
Symmetrical-region: Use one SSC for each symmetrical region
Global-ipsilateral: Use one SSC for each hemisphere
Global-contralateral: Use one SSC for the entire head

In Figure 3, a 16-channel optode template is presented to clarify the categories for using short separation channels. Each color represents a short separation channel needed for a long channel based on the different categories. In the article of Zhang et al., 2015, you can read more about the correlation between the locations of the short separation channels and the components of the signals.

Figure 3: 16-channel optode template set-up for local, symmetrical-local, symmetrical-region, global-ipsilateral and global-contralateral use of short separation channels. Each color represent a short separation channel for every category of long channels.

Currently short separation channels are available in the OxyMon, OctaMon and the Brite system. Please contact us (askforinfo@artinis.com) if you already have a system and you would like to upgrade it with short separation channel(s).

References

Brigadoi, S., & Cooper, R. J. (2015). How short is short? Optimum source–detector distance for short-separation channels in functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Neurophotonics.

Sato, T., Nambu, I., Takeda, K., Aihara, T., Yamashita, O., Isogaya, Y., … Osu, R. (2016). Reduction of global interference of scalp-hemodynamics in functional near-infrared spectroscopy using short distance probes. NeuroImage, 141, 120–132.

Scarpa, F., Cutini, S., Scatturin, P., Dell, R., Sparacino, G., Boas, D. A., … Villringer, A. (2002). Bayesian filtering of human brain hemodynamic activity elicited by visual short-term maintenance recorded through functional nearinfrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). IEEE Eng. Med. Biol. Mag (Vol. 8). CRC Press.

Zhang, Q., Brown, E. N., & Strangman, G. E. (2007). Adaptive filtering for global interference cancellation and real-time recovery of evoked brain activity: a Monte Carlo simulation study. Journal of Biomedical Optics.

Zhang, Y., Tan, F., Xu, X., Duan, L., Liu, H., Tian, F., & Zhu, C.-Z. (2015). Multiregional functional near-infrared spectroscopy reveals globally symmetrical and frequency-specific patterns of superficial interference. Biomedical Optics Express.

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