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Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure 2022Smartphones can be used to capture images from the microscope. There are commercial and homemade adapters that can be used to overcome the difficulty of focusing on a...
BACKGROUND AND AIM
Smartphones can be used to capture images from the microscope. There are commercial and homemade adapters that can be used to overcome the difficulty of focusing on a smartphone camera. We conducted this study to test if the usage of a homemade adapter reduces the time and effort of the operator in comparison to the free-hand technique in smartphone photomicrography.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We made a simple smartphone adapter for digital photomicrography. Thirty-two operators first captured the image on the smartphone with the free-hand technique and then with the adapter thrice from a microscope. The time for focusing was compared statistically by paired -test. A survey was conducted to know operators's opinions on adapter-assisted photomicrography.
RESULT
All the participants were able to capture images from the microscopes. The average time for focusing with adapter was (11.89 ± 4.19 seconds) significantly ( = 0.0001) lower than the free-hand technique (25.56±11.81 seconds). However, the images yielded from both techniques were of equal quality. The majority of the participant found the method to be easy and reduce their effort in focusing and capturing an image.
CONCLUSION
Low-cost homemade smartphone adapter helps in reducing the time required for capturing an image from the microscope. It decreases the effort of the operator in comparison to the free-hand technique. Hence, it may be a good choice for those who need to capture images from the microscopes frequently for either telemedicine or research purpose in resource-limited settings.
PubMed: 35433256
DOI: 10.4103/JMAU.JMAU_45_20 -
Journal of Family Medicine and Primary... May 2020In recent years, a new concept has emerged at the forefront of slide-based diagnosis and telepathology. This is the concept of whole slide imaging. This has very...
CONTEXT
In recent years, a new concept has emerged at the forefront of slide-based diagnosis and telepathology. This is the concept of whole slide imaging. This has very recently also been tried with smartphones using complex software for photo analysis and stitching. This study is aimed to evaluate and compare the use of Jenoptik photomicrograph camera and smartphone camera-based whole slide imaging (WSI) for various microscopic preparations and slides. The study also uses a commonly available IOS smartphone device, a commonly available phone to microscope attachment, and the most commonly used Adobe Photoshop software for all stitching purposes.
AIM
To evaluate and compare smartphone and photomicrography-based whole slide imaging.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
The study was conducted at the Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology in Bapuji Dental College and Hospital, Davangere. The samples included in this study are 10 slides of routine hematoxylin and eosin stain slides and 10 ground section slides of teeth and bone samples. Continuous photographs of the entire slide were captured using an IOS device and a Jenoptik camera attached research microscope at 10× magnification. The photographs were stitched using Adobe Photoshop 2017 software to obtain a whole slide image. Then, two observers analyzed the whole slide image for a possible diagnosis and thus compared the efficiency of both the methods.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED
The statistical Chi-square test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) H test were done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 2010 Software.
RESULTS
Percentage of measure of agreement was 79.5%, 83.7% and 86.3%, 89.1% for the whole slide images taken in the smartphone and photomicrograph and analyzed by Observer 1 and Observer 2, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
In this study, it can be seen that the WSI by research microscopes is better than that with a smartphone and a compound microscope but still both the methods are equally good and can be followed with accurate results.
PubMed: 32754495
DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_18_20 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2023Oil-based emulsion solution is a common pesticide formulation in agricultural spraying, and its spray characteristics are different from that of water spraying. The well...
INTRODUCTION
Oil-based emulsion solution is a common pesticide formulation in agricultural spraying, and its spray characteristics are different from that of water spraying. The well understanding of its spray characteristics is the theoretical basis to improve the pesticide spraying technology. The objective of the present study is to deepen the understanding of the spray characteristics of oil-based emulsion.
METHOD
In this paper, the spatial distribution characteristics of spray droplets of oil-based emulsion were captured visually using the high-speed photomicrography. On the basis of image processing method, the droplet size and distribution density of spray droplets at different spatial locations were analyzed quantitatively. The effects of nozzle configuration and emulsion concentration on spray structures and droplet spatial distribution were discussed.
RESULTS
Oil-based emulsion produced a special perforation atomization mechanism compared with water spray, which led to the increase of spray droplet size and distribution density. Nozzle configuration had a significant effect on oil-based emulsion spray, with the nozzle changed from ST110-01 to ST110-03 and ST110-05; the sheet lengths increased to 18 and 28 mm, respectively, whereas the volumetric median diameters increased to 51.19% and 76.00%, respectively. With emulsion concentration increased from 0.02% to 0.1% and 0.5%, the volumetric median diameters increased to 5.17% and 14.56%, respectively.
DISCUSSION
The spray droplet size of oil-based emulsion spray can be scaled by the equivalent diameter of discharge orifice of nozzles. The products of volumetric median diameters and corresponding surface tensions were nearly constant for the oil-based emulsion spray of different emulsion concentrations. It is expected that this research could provide theoretical support for improving the spraying technology of oil-based emulsion and increasing the utilization of pesticide.
PubMed: 37360725
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1183387 -
Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure 2020Modern light microscopes are available with built-in illuminator and facility of photomicrography. This enables the microscopy to be ready for telemedicine. However,...
INTRODUCTION
Modern light microscopes are available with built-in illuminator and facility of photomicrography. This enables the microscopy to be ready for telemedicine. However, resource-limited settings still find difficulty in procuring those microscopes.
AIM
The aim of this study was to upgrade a light microscope to a smartphone-connected digital microscope with minimal cost to make it ready for telemedicine.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A commercially available (price: ₹389) Universal Serial Bus (USB) web camera was set on the eyepiece and fixed with the help of an aluminum sheet. Light emitting diodes (LEDs), covered with an optical diffuser, were set below the condenser. The camera was connected to an Android smartphone with an application for capturing image and video. Sixteen faculty members provided their opinion about the new device.
RESULTS
The smartphone-connected microscope was successfully used to focus and capture image and video of various slides. The images and videos were stored in the smartphone and shared via E-mail and other channels (e.g., WhatsApp and Telegram). This camera was also successfully connected to a laptop for projecting the real-time microscopic field on a screen. According to faculty members, focusing an object and capturing the image are the best features of the device; however, development of the device received lowest score.
CONCLUSION
A light microscope was upgraded to telemedicine ready microscope with nominal cost and moderate effort. It can also be used in medical teachings as it can project real-time images of a slide under the microscope. As it is equipped with LEDs, powered by the same smartphone, it can be operated without daylight or during a power outage.
PubMed: 32766118
DOI: 10.4103/JMAU.JMAU_35_19 -
Parasite (Paris, France) 2022Accurate identification of insect species is an indispensable and challenging requirement for every entomologist, particularly if the species is involved in disease...
Accurate identification of insect species is an indispensable and challenging requirement for every entomologist, particularly if the species is involved in disease outbreaks. The European MediLabSecure project designed an identification (ID) exercise available to any willing participant with the aim of assessing and improving knowledge in mosquito taxonomy. The exercise was based on high-definition photomicrographs of mosquitoes (26 adult females and 12 larvae) collected from the western Palaearctic. Sixty-five responses from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East were usable. The study demonstrated that the responders were better at identifying females (82% correct responses) than larvae (63%). When the responders reported that they were sure of the accuracy of their ID, the success rate of ID increased (92% for females and 88% for larvae). The top three tools used for ID were MosKeyTool (72% of responders), the ID key following Becker et al. [2010. Mosquitoes and their control, 2nd edn. Berlin: Springer] (38%), and the CD-ROM of Schaffner et al. [2001. Les moustiques d'Europe: logiciel d'identification et d'enseignement - The mosquitoes of Europe: an identification and training programme. Montpellier: IRD; EID] (32%), while other tools were used by less than 10% of responders. Responders reporting the identification of mosquitoes using the MosKeyTool were significantly better (80% correct responses) than non-MosKeyTool users (69%). Most responders (63%) used more than one ID tool. The feedback from responders in this study was positive, with the exercise being perceived as halfway between educational training and a fun quiz. It raised the importance of further expanding training in mosquito ID for better preparedness of mosquito surveillance and control programmes.
Topics: Africa, Northern; Animals; Culicidae; Disease Outbreaks; Europe; Female; Humans; Larva; Mosquito Vectors
PubMed: 36200781
DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2022045 -
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual... Dec 2019The subbasal nerve plexus (SNP) is the densest and most recognizable component of the mammalian corneal innervation; however, the anatomical configuration of the SNP in...
PURPOSE
The subbasal nerve plexus (SNP) is the densest and most recognizable component of the mammalian corneal innervation; however, the anatomical configuration of the SNP in most animal models remains incompletely described. The purpose of the current study is to describe in detail the SNP architecture in eight different mammals, including several popular animal models used in cornea research.
METHODS
Corneal nerves in mouse, rat, guinea pig, rabbit, dog, macaque, domestic pig, and cow eyes were stained immunohistochemically with antiserum directed against neurotubulin. SNP architecture was documented by digital photomicrography and large-scale reconstructions, that is, corneal nerve maps, using a drawing tube attached to a light microscope.
RESULTS
Subbasal nerve fibers (SNFs) in mice, rats, guinea pigs, dogs, and macaques radiated centrally from the corneoscleral limbus toward the corneal apex in a whorl-like or spiraling pattern. SNFs in rabbit and bovine corneas swept horizontally across the ocular surface in a temporal-to-nasal direction and converged on the inferonasal limbus without forming a spiral. SNFs in the pig cornea radiated centrifugally in all directions, like a starburst, from a focal point located equidistant between the corneal apex and the superior pole.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of the present study have demonstrated for the first time substantial interspecies differences in the architectural organization of the mammalian SNP. The physiological significance of these different patterns and the mechanisms that regulate SNP pattern formation in the mammalian cornea remain incompletely understood and warrant additional investigation.
Topics: Anatomy, Comparative; Animals; Cattle; Cornea; Dogs; Guinea Pigs; Macaca; Mice; Microscopy, Confocal; Models, Animal; Nerve Fibers; Ophthalmic Nerve; Rabbits; Rats; Swine; Trigeminal Ganglion
PubMed: 31790560
DOI: 10.1167/iovs.19-28519 -
Zoological Studies 2022(Dufour, 1849) is the most widespread species of the planthopper subfamily Orgeriinae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Dictyopharidae) in Europe, found from the Iberian...
(Dufour, 1849) is the most widespread species of the planthopper subfamily Orgeriinae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Dictyopharidae) in Europe, found from the Iberian Peninsula to the Western Balkans. However, its diagnostically important genitalia and biology have been insufficiently described. We employ state-of-the-art synchrotron X-ray microtomography and photomicrography to re-describe , and to study the morphology of both its sexes in unprecedented detail. By examining specimens from across the distribution of , we find that they probably belong to a single, broadly distributed morphospecies. Our morphological examination allowed us to make inferences on its jumping mechanism and capacity for vibrational communication. We also record for the first time from Greece, further extending the range of this elusive species. Detailed information on the habitat of is also provided.
PubMed: 36568820
DOI: 10.6620/ZS.2022.61-51 -
Polimery W Medycynie 2020Plant-extract-reduced metal nanoparticles provide means of overcoming microbial resistance. Incorporating them into appropriate pharmaceutical formulations will enhance...
BACKGROUND
Plant-extract-reduced metal nanoparticles provide means of overcoming microbial resistance. Incorporating them into appropriate pharmaceutical formulations will enhance their portability and ease of administration.
OBJECTIVES
To synthesize silver nanoparticles using methanol extracts of the seeds of Blighia sapida as capping agents and formulating the products in antimicrobial films.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Phytochemical screening of the methanol extract of Blighia sapida K.D. Koenig (ackee) seeds was performed and its antioxidant properties were determined using DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) assay. The green synthesis of ackee seed extract silver nanoparticles (ASAgNPs) was accomplished with reacting 1 mM of aqueous silver nitrate (AgNO3) and the methanol extract in a flask; the bioreduction was performed at 37°C for 72 h. The resulting nanoparticles were lyophilized and characterized using UV-visible spectrophotometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and photomicrography. The nanoparticles were further formulated into films using starch and carboxymethyl cellulose using the solvent evaporation method. The extract, biosynthesized nanoparticles and film formulations were screened for antimicrobial activity against several pathogens using the agar well diffusion method.
RESULTS
The methanol seed extracts of the ackee fruit contained saponins, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, and anthraquinones. The extract exhibited significant antioxidant properties. The nanoparticles and film formulations had a broader range of activity against microbes than the plant extract, exhibiting significant activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 700728, Salmonella typhi ATCC 14028, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. Activity was also observed with Candida krusei, C. albicans, and Penicillium sp. It is noteworthy that this last organism showed resistance to fluconazole.
CONCLUSIONS
Ackee seed extract silver nanoparticles exhibited a synergistic antimicrobial activity against several pathogens. Film formulations of the nanoparticles retained this antimicrobial activity and allowed the product to be presented in a consumer-ready form.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Blighia; Metal Nanoparticles; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Pichia; Plant Extracts; Seeds; Silver; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
PubMed: 33768737
DOI: 10.17219/pim/130388 -
NeuroImage Mar 2022Abnormal tau inclusions are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease and predictors of clinical decline. Several tau PET tracers are available for neurodegenerative disease...
Abnormal tau inclusions are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease and predictors of clinical decline. Several tau PET tracers are available for neurodegenerative disease research, opening avenues for molecular diagnosis in vivo. However, few have been approved for clinical use. Understanding the neurobiological basis of PET signal validation remains problematic because it requires a large-scale, voxel-to-voxel correlation between PET and (immuno) histological signals. Large dimensionality of whole human brains, tissue deformation impacting co-registration, and computing requirements to process terabytes of information preclude proper validation. We developed a computational pipeline to identify and segment particles of interest in billion-pixel digital pathology images to generate quantitative, 3D density maps. The proposed convolutional neural network for immunohistochemistry samples, IHCNet, is at the pipeline's core. We have successfully processed and immunostained over 500 slides from two whole human brains with three phospho-tau antibodies (AT100, AT8, and MC1), spanning several terabytes of images. Our artificial neural network estimated tau inclusion from brain images, which performs with ROC AUC of 0.87, 0.85, and 0.91 for AT100, AT8, and MC1, respectively. Introspection studies further assessed the ability of our trained model to learn tau-related features. We present an end-to-end pipeline to create terabytes-large 3D tau inclusion density maps co-registered to MRI as a means to facilitate validation of PET tracers.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease; Biomarkers; Datasets as Topic; Deep Learning; Equipment Design; Female; Humans; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Neuroimaging; Photomicrography; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; tau Proteins
PubMed: 34933123
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118790 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Aug 2020There is still considerable controversy regarding the possibility of submitting replanted teeth to orthodontic movement (OM). The purpose of the present study was to...
There is still considerable controversy regarding the possibility of submitting replanted teeth to orthodontic movement (OM). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the tissue response after orthodontic movement on replanted teeth. Sixty Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups ( = 15): G1, replantation without OM after 30 days; G2, replantation with OM after 30 days; G3, replantation without OM after 60 days, and G4, replantation with OM after 60 days. The maxillary left central incisors were extracted and the teeth were stored in milk media. After 30 min, the teeth were replanted and fixed with non-rigid immobilization. All specimens were observed after 30 and 60 days of replantation and then subdivided into two subgroups (with OM or without OM). The animals were euthanized after seven days of the OM started, and the maxillary bone blocks were processed for histological evaluation. The histological results showed periodontal ligament repair in both periods studied without OM; however, ankylosis and root resorption was seen in all orthodontically moved teeth. The orthodontic movement did not favor tissue response in all replanted teeth, regardless of the experimental periods.
Topics: Animals; Incisor; Models, Animal; Periodontal Ligament; Photomicrography; Postoperative Complications; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Root Resorption; Tooth Avulsion; Tooth Movement Techniques; Tooth Replantation; Tooth Root
PubMed: 32825215
DOI: 10.3390/medicina56090421