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Nature Communications Jun 2024Fluorescence imaging is widely used for the mesoscopic mapping of neuronal connectivity. However, neurite reconstruction is challenging, especially when neurons are...
Fluorescence imaging is widely used for the mesoscopic mapping of neuronal connectivity. However, neurite reconstruction is challenging, especially when neurons are densely labelled. Here, we report a strategy for the fully automated reconstruction of densely labelled neuronal circuits. Firstly, we establish stochastic super-multicolour labelling with up to seven different fluorescent proteins using the Tetbow method. With this method, each neuron is labelled with a unique combination of fluorescent proteins, which are then imaged and separated by linear unmixing. We also establish an automated neurite reconstruction pipeline based on the quantitative analysis of multiple dyes (QDyeFinder), which identifies neurite fragments with similar colour combinations. To classify colour combinations, we develop unsupervised clustering algorithm, dCrawler, in which data points in multi-dimensional space are clustered based on a given threshold distance. Our strategy allows the reconstruction of neurites for up to hundreds of neurons at the millimetre scale without using their physical continuity.
Topics: Animals; Neurons; Neurites; Color; Algorithms; Cluster Analysis; Mice; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Luminescent Proteins; Staining and Labeling; Optical Imaging
PubMed: 38918382
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49455-y -
European Journal of Radiology Jun 2024To evaluate the diagnostic performance of simplified post-processing approaches for quantitative wrist 4D-CT in the assessment of scapholunate instability (SLI).
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the diagnostic performance of simplified post-processing approaches for quantitative wrist 4D-CT in the assessment of scapholunate instability (SLI).
METHODS
A prospective monocentric case-control study included 60 patients with suspected post-traumatic scapholunate ligament (SLL) tears and persistent pain. Of these, 40 patients exhibited SLL tears, subdivided into two groups of 20 each: one group with completely torn ligaments and the other with partially torn ligaments. The remaining 20 patients, whose SLLs were intact, served as controls. 4D-CT and CT arthrography were performed, and post-processed by two readers using three approaches: the standard method with full data assessment and dedicated software, partial data assessment with post-processing software (bone locking), and partial data assessment without post-processing software (no bone locking). The scapholunate gap (SLG) parameter was measured in millimeters to evaluate scapholunate diastasis during radioulnar deviation (RUD). The scapholunate ligament status on CT arthrography was considered the gold standard.
RESULTS
The SLG-derived parameters (range, mean, and maximal values) were significantly increased in patients with both intact and torn scapholunate ligaments across all post-processing approaches (P values ranging from 0.001 to 0.004). SLG range was the best parameter for diagnosing SLL tears, with ROC AUC values ranging from 0.7 to 0.88 across the three post-processing methods. The interobserver reproducibility was better with the alternative approaches (ICC values 0.93-0.96) compared to the standard approach (ICC values 0.65-0.72). Additionally, post-processing time was shorter with the alternative approaches, especially when specific software was not used (reduced from 10 to three minutes).
CONCLUSION
Simpler approaches to wrist 4D-CT data analysis yielded acceptable diagnostic performances and improved interobserver reproducibility compared to the standard approach.
PubMed: 38917580
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2024.111544 -
The Journal of Physical Chemistry. A Jun 2024The rotational spectrum of 3-furonitrile has been collected from 85 to 500 GHz, spanning the most intense rotational transitions observable at room temperature. The...
The rotational spectrum of 3-furonitrile has been collected from 85 to 500 GHz, spanning the most intense rotational transitions observable at room temperature. The large dipole moment imparted by the nitrile substituent confers substantial intensity to the rotational spectrum, enabling the observation of over 5600 new rotational transitions. Combined with previously published transitions, the available data set was least-squares fit to partial-octic, distorted-rotor A- and S-reduced Hamiltonian models with low statistical uncertainty (σ < 0.031 MHz) for the ground vibrational state. Similar to its isomer 2-furonitrile, the two lowest-energy vibrationally excited states of 3-furonitrile (ν, ν), which correspond to the in-plane and out-of-plane nitrile bending vibrations, form an and axis Coriolis-coupled dyad. Rotationally resolved infrared transitions (30-600 cm) and over 4200 pure rotational transitions for both ν and ν were fit to a partial-octic, Coriolis-coupled, two-state Hamiltonian with low statistical uncertainty (σ rot < 0.045 MHz, σ IR < 6.1 MHz). The least-squares fitting of these vibrationally excited states provides their accurate and precise vibrational frequencies (ν = 168.193 164 8 (67) cm and ν = 169.635 831 5 (77) cm) and seven Coriolis-coupling terms (, , , , , , and ). The two fundamental states exhibit a notably small energy gap (1.442 667 (10) cm) and an inversion of the relative energies of ν and ν compared to those of the isomer 2-furonitrile. The rotational frequencies and spectroscopic constants of 3-furonitrile that we present herein provide a sufficient basis for conducting radioastronomical searches for this molecule across the majority of the frequency range available to current radiotelescopes.
PubMed: 38916202
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.4c03093 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024This study presents the design of four (mm) wideband, high gain, highly efficient metasurface-based 4T4R MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) antennas with highly...
This study presents the design of four (mm) wideband, high gain, highly efficient metasurface-based 4T4R MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) antennas with highly isolated ports, covering the middle and a portion of the upper bands of the sub 6 GHz 5G frequency spectrum for 5G-based systems, such as IoT (Internet of Things) applications, vehicular communications (e.g., rooftop antennas of cars or trains), smart industries (e.g., farms and factories). The radiating elements of these antennas use the aperture-coupled feeding technique with a dumbbell-shaped slot, a truncated square patch with two U-shaped slots, and a metasurface layer. The proposed MIMO structures place four identical radiating elements like a matrix with successive rotations to produce orthogonal electromagnetic waves, improving the isolation between ports. Six-millimeter spaces are added between these elements, and two vertical and horizontal strip slots are carved on the ground as the decoupling structure to decrease the mutual coupling. Simulation results show that Antenna_1, Antenna_2, and Antenna_3 achieve gain values of 6.2 to 9.4 dBi, 8.2 to 11.6 dBi, 6.2 to 9.5 dBi, below - 35, - 25, and - 33 isolation and almost 10 dB diversity gain from 2.8 to 4.7 GHz, 2.8 to 4.5 GHz, and 2.7 to 4.9 GHz, respectively. As a prototype, Antenna_4 is manufactured, and measurements are performed. It achieves 6.28 to 10.45 dBi gain values, below - 23 dB isolation, and 0.001 envelope correlation coefficient over 2.7 to 4.3 GHz. The results confirm that the proposed MIMO antennas are compatible with the 5G essential requisites.
PubMed: 38914613
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65135-9 -
Journal of Biomedical Optics Jul 2024Information about the spatial organization of fibers within a nerve is crucial to our understanding of nerve anatomy and its response to neuromodulation therapies. A...
NerveTracker: a Python-based software toolkit for visualizing and tracking groups of nerve fibers in serial block-face microscopy with ultraviolet surface excitation images.
SIGNIFICANCE
Information about the spatial organization of fibers within a nerve is crucial to our understanding of nerve anatomy and its response to neuromodulation therapies. A serial block-face microscopy method [three-dimensional microscopy with ultraviolet surface excitation (3D-MUSE)] has been developed to image nerves over extended depths . To routinely visualize and track nerve fibers in these datasets, a dedicated and customizable software tool is required.
AIM
Our objective was to develop custom software that includes image processing and visualization methods to perform microscopic tractography along the length of a peripheral nerve sample.
APPROACH
We modified common computer vision algorithms (optic flow and structure tensor) to track groups of peripheral nerve fibers along the length of the nerve. Interactive streamline visualization and manual editing tools are provided. Optionally, deep learning segmentation of fascicles (fiber bundles) can be applied to constrain the tracts from inadvertently crossing into the epineurium. As an example, we performed tractography on vagus and tibial nerve datasets and assessed accuracy by comparing the resulting nerve tracts with segmentations of fascicles as they split and merge with each other in the nerve sample stack.
RESULTS
We found that a normalized Dice overlap ( ) metric had a mean value above 0.75 across several millimeters along the nerve. We also found that the tractograms were robust to changes in certain image properties (e.g., downsampling in-plane and out-of-plane), which resulted in only a 2% to 9% change to the mean values. In a vagus nerve sample, tractography allowed us to readily identify that subsets of fibers from four distinct fascicles merge into a single fascicle as we move along the nerve's length.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, we demonstrated the feasibility of performing automated microscopic tractography on 3D-MUSE datasets of peripheral nerves. The software should be applicable to other imaging approaches. The code is available at https://github.com/ckolluru/NerveTracker.
Topics: Software; Nerve Fibers; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Algorithms; Animals; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Tibial Nerve; Vagus Nerve; Microscopy, Ultraviolet; Microscopy
PubMed: 38912214
DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.29.7.076501 -
Medical Science Monitor : International... Jun 2024BACKGROUND Cephalometric radiography evaluates facial skeleton development and aids in diagnosis and treatment phases (pre and post) in orthodontics. This study aimed to... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
BACKGROUND Cephalometric radiography evaluates facial skeleton development and aids in diagnosis and treatment phases (pre and post) in orthodontics. This study aimed to compare digital cephalometric tracing using a smartphone application (App), a tablet-based platform, and manual tracing in 30 orthodontic patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty orthodontic pretreatment, criteria based, lateral cephalometric radiographs were analyzed/grouped for Steiner analysis parameters (5 skeletal, 3 dentals, 1 soft tissue) by 3 tracing methods [manual - group (Gp M), smartphone (Android - OS9) - Gp S, tablet (Apple - IOS13) - Gp T) after mandatory standardization/calibration. Measurements include 5 angular (SNA, SNB, ANB, SNMPA, SNOP), 3 linear U1NA, L1NB, U1L1, and 1 soft tissue (S line) (millimeters and degrees). Inter-examiner rating was determined using Dahlberg's test. After normality distribution testing (Shapiro-Wilk), data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for group differences. Homogeneity of variance was verified using the Levene test. Differences were determined on probability value of (p≤0.05). RESULTS The results showed that Steiner's analysis parameters were similar in all groups with homogenous variances. Highest differences in mean values were found for L1NB, U1L1, and S line measurement, with higher values being observed in Gp S tracings. However, these differences were not statistically significant (p≤0.05). All parameters, irrespective of being measured in either degrees or millimeters, had means comparable to each other. CONCLUSIONS Smartphone and tablet-based applications produced tracings that were comparable and reliable when compared to conventional manual tracings. Standardization of images, processing, printing, and calibration of devices is important to achieve good results.
Topics: Humans; Cephalometry; Mobile Applications; Smartphone; Male; Female; Adolescent; Computers, Handheld; Orthodontics
PubMed: 38909276
DOI: 10.12659/MSM.944628 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024This paper presents a novel, dual-band, four-port multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) antenna for 28/38 GHz millimeter wave 5G wearable applications. In the proposed work,...
This paper presents a novel, dual-band, four-port multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) antenna for 28/38 GHz millimeter wave 5G wearable applications. In the proposed work, we have used a novel design approach to get the dual-band behavior from a MIMO design with a small footprint of 18 × 8.5 × 0.25 mm. For this purpose, each MIMO element is designed as a composite form of a circular and elliptical structure connected with a narrow strip and fed by a tapered feedline. The peak realized gains and total efficiencies of the antenna, evaluated in free space, are 4.15 dBi, 7.73 dBi and 80.13%, 85.44% at 28 GHz and 38 GHz frequencies, respectively. To appraise the thorough behavior of the MIMO antenna, we have evaluated all the parameters of the antenna: Envelope Correlation Coefficient (ECC), Diversity Gain (DG), Mean Effective Gain (MEG), Channel Capacity Loss (CCL), and Total Active Reflection Coefficient (TARC), and found them satisfactory. Channel capacity of the antenna at SNR = 20 dB is found to be 21.61 bps/Hz. For wearable applications, the proposed 4-port MIMO antenna is designed on a flexible Rogers 3003 substrate, and the performance is checked by evaluating bending analysis. The safety of the antenna is verified by analyzing the 1 g/10 g SAR at 28/38 GHz and the corresponding average SAR values are 0.11/0.08 W/kg and 0.05/0.04 W/kg, respectively. All the average SAR values for the proposed MIMO antenna are within the acceptable limits according to FCC/ICNIRP standards.
PubMed: 38906936
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65023-2 -
Przeglad Epidemiologiczny Jun 2024Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant global health concern, particularly in developing countries. Diagnosing latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in hemodialysis patients...
INTRODUCTION
Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant global health concern, particularly in developing countries. Diagnosing latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in hemodialysis patients is crucial because of the risk of developing active tuberculosis in this population due to attenuated immune response. Herein, we assessed the prevalence of LTBI in hemodialysis patients.
METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, we included all patients referred to hemodialysis centers in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, southwest Iran, in 2018 through census sampling. Tuberculin skin test (TST) was utilized to screen the patients for LTBI. All steps were done by trained physicians.
RESULTS
In total, 183 patients (mean age: 59.3, SD= 16.0) were included in the study of which 76 (41.5%) were females, and 107 (58.5%) were males. Neither the patients nor their family members had a history of tuberculosis. Assuming an above 5-millimeter enduration as a positive TST result, 22 patients (12%) had LTBI. None of the demographic or clinical features differed between TST -negative and -positive groups.
CONCLUSION
Hemodialysis patients are prone to LTBI due to several immunological and environmental factors. Screening for LTBI may be beneficial to prevent active tuberculosis in this population.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Iran; Latent Tuberculosis; Renal Dialysis; Prevalence; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Cross-Sectional Studies; Adult; Aged; Tuberculin Test; Kidney Failure, Chronic
PubMed: 38904309
DOI: 10.32394/pe.77.46 -
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces... Jun 2024Biomimetic surfaces with special wettability have received much attention due to their promising prospects in droplet manipulation. Although some progress has been made,...
Biomimetic surfaces with special wettability have received much attention due to their promising prospects in droplet manipulation. Although some progress has been made, the manipulation of droplets by macroscopic defects of the millimeter structure and the wetting-state transition mechanism have rarely been reported. Herein, inspired by lotus leaves and desert beetles, biomimetic surfaces with macroscopic defects are prepared by laser processing and chemical modification. Various functions of droplet manipulation are achieved by controlling the millimeter-scale macroscopic defects, such as droplet capture, motion trajectory changing, and liquid well. And a droplet bottom expansion phenomenon is proposed: wetting-state transition in superhydrophobic regions around defects. The "edge failure effect" is proposed to explain the force analysis of droplet capture and the droplet bottom expansion to distinguish it from the adhesion phenomenon presented by the droplet sliding. 53.28° is defined as the expanded saturated angle of the as-prepared surface, which is used to distinguish whether the defect could cause the droplet bottom expansion. An enhanced edge failure effect experiment is designed to make the droplet bottom expansion more intuitive. This work provides a mechanistic explanation of the surfaces that utilize macroscopic defects for droplet manipulation. It can be applied to the monitoring of droplet storage limits, providing a perspective on the design and optimization of superhydrophobic surfaces with droplet manipulation.
PubMed: 38901843
DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c01869 -
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related... Jun 2024Peripheral osteochondral tumors are common, and the management of tumors presenting in the pelvis is challenging and a controversial topic. Some have suggested that...
BACKGROUND
Peripheral osteochondral tumors are common, and the management of tumors presenting in the pelvis is challenging and a controversial topic. Some have suggested that cartilage cap thickness may indicate malignant potential, but this supposition is not well validated.
QUESTIONS/PURPOSES
(1) How accurate is preoperative biopsy in determining whether a peripheral cartilage tumor of the pelvis is benign or malignant? (2) Is the thickness of the cartilage cap as determined by MRI associated with the likelihood that a given peripheral cartilage tumor is malignant? (3) What is local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), metastasis-free survival (MFS), and disease-specific survival (DSS) in peripheral chondrosarcoma of the pelvis and is it associated with surgical margin?
METHODS
Between 2005 and 2022, 289 patients had diagnoses of peripheral cartilage tumors of the pelvis (either pedunculated or sessile) and were treated at one tertiary sarcoma center (the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham, UK). These patients were identified retrospectively from a longitudinally maintained institutional database. Those whose tumors were asymptomatic and discovered incidentally and had cartilage caps ≤ 1.5 cm were discharged (95 patients), leaving 194 patients with tumors that were either symptomatic or had cartilage caps > 1.5 cm. Tumors that were asymptomatic and had a cartilage cap > 1.5 cm were followed with MRIs for 2 years and discharged without biopsy if the tumors did not grow or change in appearance (15 patients). Patients with symptomatic tumors that had cartilage caps ≤ 1.5 cm underwent removal without biopsy (63 patients). A total of 82 patients (63 with caps ≤ 1.5 cm and 19 with caps > 1.5 cm, whose treatment deviated from the routine at the time) had their tumors removed without biopsy. This left 97 patients who underwent biopsy before removal of peripheral cartilage tumors of the pelvis, and this was the group we used to answer research question 1. The thickness of the cartilage cap was recorded from MRI and measuring to the nearest millimeter, with measurements taken perpendicular in the plane that best allowed the greatest measurement. Patient survival rates were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method with 95% confidence intervals as median observation times to estimate MFS, LRFS, and DSS.
RESULTS
Of malignant tumors biopsied, in 49% (40 of 82), the biopsy result was recorded as benign (or was considered uncertain regarding malignancy). A malignant diagnosis was correctly reported in biopsy reports in 51% (42 of 82) of patients, and if biopsy samples with uncertainty regarding malignancy were excluded, the biopsy identified a lesion as being malignant in 84% (42 of 50) of patients. The biopsy results correlated with the final histologic grade as recorded from the resected specimen in only 33% (27 of 82) of patients. Among these 82 patients, 15 biopsies underestimated the final histologic grade. The median cartilage cap thickness for all benign osteochondromas was 0.5 cm (range 0.1 to 4.0 cm), and the median cartilage cap thickness for malignant peripheral chondrosarcomas was 8.0 cm (range 3.0 to 19 cm, difference of medians 7.5 cm; p < 0.01). LRFS was 49% (95% CI 35% to 63%) at 3 years for patients with malignant peripheral tumors with < 1-mm margins, and LRFS was 97% (95% CI 92% to 100%) for patients with malignant peripheral tumors with ≥ 1-mm margins (p < 0.01). DSS was 100% at 3 years for Grade 1 chondrosarcomas, 94% (95% CI 86% to 100%) at 3 years for Grade 2 chondrosarcomas, 73% (95% CI 47% to 99%) at 3 and 5 years for Grade 3 chondrosarcomas, and 20% (95% CI 0% to 55%) at 3 and 5 years for dedifferentiated chondrosarcomas (p < 0.01). DSS was 87% (95% CI 78% to 96%) at 3 years for patients with malignant peripheral tumors with < 1-mm margin, and DSS was 100% at 3 years for patients with malignant peripheral tumors with ≥ 1-mm margins (p = 0.01).
CONCLUSION
A thin cartilage cap (< 3 cm) is characteristic of benign osteochondroma. The likelihood of a cartilage tumor being malignant increases after the cartilage cap thickness exceeds 3 cm. In our experience, preoperative biopsy results were not reliably associated with the final histologic grade or malignancy, being accurate in only 33% of patients. We therefore recommend observation for 2 years for patients with pelvic osteochondromas in which the cap thickness is < 1.5 cm and there is no associated pain. For patients with tumors in which the cap thickness is 1.5 to 3 cm, we recommend either close observation for 2 years or resection, depending on the treating physician's decision. We recommend excision in patients whose pelvic osteochondromas show an increase in thickness or pain, preferably before the cartilage cap thickness is 3 cm. We propose that surgical resection of peripheral cartilage tumors in which the cartilage cap exceeds 3 cm (aiming for clear margins) is reasonable without preoperative biopsy; the role of preoperative biopsy is less helpful because radiologic measurement of the cartilage cap thickness appears to be accurately associated with malignancy. Biopsy might be helpful in patients in whom there is diagnostic uncertainty or when confirming the necessity of extensive surgical procedures. Future studies should evaluate other preoperative tumor qualities in differentiating malignant peripheral cartilage tumors from benign tumors.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Level III, diagnostic study.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Adult; Bone Neoplasms; Chondrosarcoma; Biopsy; Aged; Pelvic Bones; Predictive Value of Tests; Risk Assessment; Young Adult; Risk Factors; Margins of Excision; Adolescent; Preoperative Care; Disease-Free Survival
PubMed: 38901841
DOI: 10.1097/CORR.0000000000003065