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[Aging of the arterial system].

The high-pressure systemic arterial network plays a major physiological role as it buffers the impact of the blood flow wave generated by the left ventricle and transforms it into a more continuous flow in the peripheral arterioles. In ageing processes unrelated to hypertensive or vascular disease the structural properties of the arterial network are significantly altered. The collagen, elastin and smooth muscle contents of the tunica media and the geometrical arrangement of arterial wall components are constantly modified according to the subject's age. These morphometric changes are responsible for changes in the mechanical properties of the arterial walls leading to rigidity. An increase in caliber of the arterial lumen has been found in all studies; it partially compensates for the effects of arterial wall rigidity on vascular compliance, thereby limiting the haemodynamic and functional changes that occur in blood circulation.

Adult↗

A three-dimensional morphometric study of craniofacial shape in schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Subtle dysmorphogenesis of the craniofacial region constitutes important corroborating evidence of the neurodevelopmental origins of schizophrenia. Advances in facial visualization now allow for three-dimensional anthropometric evaluations of potentially greater discriminatory power in examining the complex geometric relationships of facial topography. METHOD: Sixty-five anthropometrically derived landmarks were identified from three-dimensional facial images collected from 14 patients with schizophrenia and 11 comparison subjects, imaged with a high-resolution, portable laser scanner. RESULTS: Using the Procrustes morphometric approach for shape analysis, the difference in mean shapes was highly significant, with patients exhibiting superoinferior elongation of the face. CONCLUSIONS: The topography of craniofacial anomalies in schizophrenia is not random and points to midline deformation.

Adult↗

Geometric characterization of the laryngeal cartilage framework for the purpose of biomechanical modeling.

Some new anatomic data on the laryngeal cartilage framework have been obtained for the biomechanical modeling of the larynx. This study attempted to define and measure some biomechanically important morphometric features of the laryngeal framework, including both the human and the canine laryngeal frameworks, because the canine larynx has been frequently used as an animal model in gross morphology and in physiological experiments. The larynges of 9 men, 7 women, and 9 dogs were harvested and dissected after death. Linear and angular geometric measurements on the thyroid cartilage, the cricoid cartilage, and the arytenoid cartilage were made with a digital caliper and a protractor, respectively. The results are useful for constructing quantitative biomechanical models of vocal fold vibration and posturing (abduction and adduction), eg, continuum mechanical models and finite-element models of the vocal folds.

Adult↗

Digital image analysis in cytological diagnosis: a morphometric analysis on pleural mesotheliomas.

In the course of the last years digital image analysis has become increasingly important in the field of quantitative pathology. This may be due to the technical development of computers which have now reached a high user-friendly standard. In the present paper we present: (1) the development of a simple system for the measurement of digital image analysis; (2) the development of a general data structure applicable to various measurements and classification strategies; and (3) the analysis of the value of invariant moments (IM) as regional descriptors to distinguish mesothelial cells from mesothelioma cells in cytologic smears of pleural fluid. The results show that the invariant moments contain information concerning the geometric distribution of the grey values of the pixels as well as the staining intensity. The invariant moments present combination parameters and are therefore ideal morphometric parameters. With the invariant moments 7 out of 7 patients with mesotheliomas and 8 out of 11 control subjects could be assigned correctly in a nonparametric discriminant analysis procedure.

Cell Nucleus↗

Morphometric analysis of small intestinal mucosa. IV. Determining cell volumes.

This study was concerned with the measurement of volumes of surface epithelial cells in human small intestine, both in disease-control subjects and, for comparison, in patients with gluten sensitivity. Four procedures were employed, of which two were geometrical, based on cylindrical or truncated conoid models. The third method evolved from the proportionality of area to volume, and required determination of cellular and nuclear profile areas, and an estimation of nuclear volume based on models conforming to (1) a prolate spheroid, or (2) a cylinder with hemispherical caps. This procedure appeared to underestimate enterocyte volumes and failed to reveal volume differences between controls and gluten-sensitive individuals. Finally, a fourth method was devised, based on traditional intraepithelial profile counts per hundred enterocyte nuclei, calculation of surface epithelial volume and of the absolute number of lymphocytes contained therein. Enterocyte volumes appeared to be overestimated twofold by this procedure compared with the first two geometric methods. The results of this study indicate that the cuboidal-type enterocyte profiles typical of the untreated mucosa in gluten sensitivity are a reflection of cells with a reduced volume. From the number of enterocytes and the absolute lymphocyte population present within a morphometrically defined volume of surface epithelium, the ratios of intraepithelial lymphocytes to enterocytes were found to be 50% less than conventional density-profile counts.

Adult↗

A geometric approach to cranial sexual dimorphism in the orang-utan.

Adult craniofacial morphology is quantified and compared using Euclidean distance matrix analysis (EDMA), a three-dimensional morphometric method for the comparison of forms, which localizes form differences between comparative groups. Results indicate that the number and magnitude of differences between male and female crania are striking. The face, basicranium and neurocranium exhibit the most dimorphism, while the palate shows the least. Significant differences also exist between young adult and fully adult individuals, especially males, supporting the delayed onset of sexual maturity and secondary sex characteristics in males. As one of the many new morphometric techniques available, EDMA was useful for identifying local form difference and provides insights into the understanding of sexual dimorphism in this species beyond that obtained from traditional statistical methods based on linear caliper measurements.

Aging↗

Calibration of endoscopic images.

In pediatric airway surgery, endoscopic evaluation of the lesions and treatment is important. However, there are no objective and reproducible methods for measurement. The purpose of this study was to define the optical effects of a Storz-Hopkins system and develop a method of calibration and measurement. Known geometric images (grids and circles) were viewed through the Storz-Hopkins system and recorded. These images were then analyzed morphometrically with a computer image analyzer (Jandel Scientific). The distortion of the endoscope could be identified, and the severity was found to be a function of the distance from the center of the field (r = .962). When this distortion factor (range, 0% to 25% shrinkage) was used mathematically, known circles could be measured by means of an endoscopic image. The error was reduced from 17.6% to 4.3% (p < .003). With morphometric programs the optical distortion of the bronchoscope can be calibrated. This can then be used to correct the measurement of images.

Analysis of Variance↗

Combined morphometrical and syntactic structure analysis as tools for histomorphological insight into human lung carcinoma growth.

Histological sections of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue comprising 60 surgical specimens of human lung carcinoma were Feulgen stained. The histomorphological images were transferred to an automated image analysing system (VISIAC) and analysed as follows. The geometrical centers of tumor cell nuclei were defined as vertices, and the minimum spanning tree (MST) was calculated based on the two-dimensional distance between the vertices. Segmentation of the images was performed semiautomatically by interactive definition of nuclei of interest and automated detection of nuclear boundaries. Several morphometric features of tumor cell nuclei were measured including size, DNA-content (extinction), and form factor, and were set in relation to parameters of the MST. The following results were obtained: DNA-content and tumor cell nucleus size ('center cell') of different microscopic tumor growth patterns are related to the number of nearest neighboring cells. No relation was found in the neighboring (surrounding) cells. The different cell types of lung carcinoma, i.e., the different microscopic tumor textures expressed the relation of center cell features to the parameters of MST. A high amount of DNA content in branching points of the MST for epidermoid carcinoma may be interpreted as carcinoma growing in epidermoid textures tend to proliferate from tumor cell nuclei related to at least one neighboring cell. The opposite was found for large cell anaplastic carcinoma (no perceptible microscopic textures of the tumors) which showed the highest DNA content in tumor cell nuclei but which was not related to any neighboring cells. This technique allows analysis of growth centers and microenvironment conditions in human lung cancer in relation to tumor texture at the light microscopy level.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Morphology and stress-strain properties along the small intestine in the rat.

The stress-strain relationship is determined by the inherent mechanical properties of the intestinal wall, the geometric configurations, the loading conditions and the zero-stress state of the segment. The purpose of this project was to provide morphometric and biomechanical data for rat duodenum, jejunum and ileum. The circumferential strains were referenced to the zero-stress state. Large morphometric variations were found along the small intestine with an increase in the outer circumferential length and luminal area and a decrease in wall thickness in distal direction. The serosal residual strain was tensile and decreased in distal direction (P < 0.05). The mucosal residual strain was compressive and the absolute value decreased in distal direction (P < 0.001). The stress-strain experiments showed that the duodenum was stiffest. All segments were stiffest in longitudinal direction (P < 0.05). In conclusion, axial variation in morphometric and biomechanical properties was found in the small intestine. The zero-stress state must be considered in future biomechanical studies in the gastrointestinal tract.

Animals↗

Performance of a TV image analysis system as a microdensitometer.

The performance of a TV image analysis system combined with an automated microscope (the Leitz TAS plus) as a microdensitometer and morphometric device was investigated. There was a strict linear correlation (r greater than .99) between the physically defined optical transmission values and the resulting electronic signals from the plumbicon TV camera for the whole area displayed on the monitor. The shading of the optoelectronic system had a coefficient of variation (CV) of 1.42% for measurements in the center of the displayed area, but a CV of 3.55% for measurements over the whole monitor area. Densitometric measurements remained stable 15 minutes after putting the microscope lamp into operation (T less than 0.075%, remeasuring every two minutes). The geometric distortion, measured as different ferret diameters of ideally round latex particles, ranged from +/- 0.5% to +/- 1.0% deviation over the entire displayed area. These results indicate that densitometric and morphometric measurements with this equipment are sufficiently precise and reproducible when performed in the center of the area displayed on the monitor.

Densitometry↗

Fractal geometric analysis of colorectal polyps.

Colorectal polyps have a subjectively self-similar structure which suggests that these structures may have fractal elements and that the fractal dimension may be a useful morphometric discriminant. The fractal dimensions of images from haematoxylin and eosin-stained sections of 359 colorectal polyps (214 tubulovillous adenomas, 41 'pure' tubular adenomas, 29 'pure' villous adenomas, 68 metaplastic polyps, and 7 inflammatory polyps) were measured using a box-counting method implemented on a microcomputer-based image analysis system. Results were assessed using polychotomous logistic regression, confusion matrices, and kappa statistics. All examined polyps were shown to have a fractal structure in the range of scales examined. The fractal dimension was significantly different between different diagnostic categories (P < 0.0001) and was a useful discriminant between these categories (kappa statistic 0.60 for the confusion matrix with size as the other variable). The fractal dimension did not shown any significant correlation with the grade of epithelial dysplasia (P > 0.05). This study shows that colorectal polyps have a fractal structure over a defined range of magnification and Euclidean morphometric measurements will be invalid outside precisely defined conditions of resolution and magnification. The fractal dimension is a better way of quantitating the polyp shape and is a useful morphometric discriminant between diagnostic categories.

Adenoma↗

Morphological properties and residual strain along the small intestine in rats.

AIM: Residual stress and strain are important for gastrointestinal function and relate to the geometric configuration, the loading conditions and the zero-stress state of the gastrointestinal tract. The purpose of this project is to provide morphometric data and residual strains for the rat small intestine ( n =11). METHODS: To approach the no-load state, the intestine was surgically excised, transferred to an organ bath and cut transversely into short ring-shaped segments. Each ring was cut radially for obtaining the zero-stress state. The residual stress can be characterised by an opening angle. The strain difference between the zero-stress state and the no-load state is called residual strain. RESULTS: Large morphometric variations were found along the small intestine. The wall thickness was highest in the proximal duodenum and decreased in distal direction along the axis of the small intestine (P<0.001). The circumferential length of the inner and outer surfaces decreased rapidly along the length of duodenum by 30-50% (P<0.001). The wall area and lumen area showed a similar pattern (P<0.001). In zero-stress state the rings always opened up after making the cut. The experiments resulted in larger inner circumferential length and smaller outer circumferential length when compared to the no-load state. The wall thickness and wall area did not differ between the no-load and zero-stress state. The opening angle and tangent rotation angle increased along the length of the duodenum and had its highest value 30% down the intestine. Further down the intestine it decreased again (P<0.001). The serosal residual strain was tensile with the highest value close to the ligament of Treitz (P<0.001). The mucosal residual strain was compressive in all segments of the small intestine with average values between -0.25 and -0.4 and with the lowest values close to the ligament of Treitz (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Axial variation in morphometric properties and residual strains were found in the small intestine. Existence of large residual strains indicates that the zero-stress state must be considered in future biomechanical studies in the gastrointestinal tract.

Animals↗

3D tooth shape from radiographs using thin-plate splines.

Current methods to produce 3-dimensional tooth root models involve conversion from radiographic means (computed tomography) or creation using computer-assisted design (CAD) software. The former lacks detail while the second is manually fabricated and can bear little resemblance to the original. Thin-plate splines have been used in morphometrics to define changes of shape between subjects of the same species. Herein, we use thin-plate splines to deform a 3D geometric prior model of a tooth to match 2D patient radiographs, producing a "best-fit" patient specific 3D geometric polygonal mesh of the tooth.

Humans↗

Stereological methods in cell biology: where are we--where are we going?

The current state of the art in morphometric cell biology is reviewed by looking at the developmental state of stereological methods, and at the approaches used to arrive at quantitative structure-function correlation. Stereological methods have reached a fairly advanced level of sophistication since mathematical stereology has been developed as a branch of geometric probability theory. The application of these methods in cell biology lags behind, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Among the strategies used in exploiting stereological methods in cell biology the physiological approach (where a change is induced experimentally and its effect on the cells is followed by biochemical and morphometric methods) ranks highest and is still valid. More analytical approaches, such as combining stereology and biochemistry in cell fraction studies, are fraught with difficulties. In considering future developments of stereological methods, the emphasis will have to be 1) on developing procedures for eliminating biases such as section thickness or resolution effects, and 2) on increasing the efficiency of the methods by better sampling rules and improved instrumentation. The future trends in morphometric cell biology might best be served by exploiting the potentials of histochemistry and stereology by combining them with a view to 1) establishing procedures for cell-specific sampling and 2) developing methods towards "molecular morphometry" on the basis of immunocytochemical labeling.

Animals↗

A multicenter retrospective 3D study of serial complete unilateral cleft lip and palate and complete bilateral cleft lip and palate casts to evaluate treatment: part 1--the participating institutions and research aims.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the multicenter retrospective and prospective spatiotemporal (4D) serial analyses of complete unilateral (CUCLP) and complete bilateral (CBCLP) cleft lip and palate casts that had undergone different treatment procedures. The involved institutions are Miami Craniofacial Anomalies Foundation, South Florida Cleft Palate Clinic; University Hospital of Nijmegen Cleft Palate Center; Free University of Amsterdam Cleft Palate Center; Academic Hospital (Dijkzigt/Sophia) Rotterdam Cleft Palate Center; Center for Craniofacial Anomalies, University of Illinois College of Medicine; Cleft Palate Center, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden; and Children's Memorial Medical Center, Northwestern University Cleft Palate Institute. DESIGN: Using serial casts of the upper jaw and an electromechanical digitizer with special Cad-Cam software (CadKey), the occlusal relationships and morphometric palatal growth changes that occur under the influence of presurgical orthopedics and various surgical procedures will be studied. It is anticipated that 3D geometric data extracted from serial casts will identify the important geometric palatal parameters present before cleft surgical closure, which will supply objective criteria for establishing a scientific basis for improved surgical therapy. This research study will test three hypotheses: (1) Conservative (varying the timing of surgical cleft closure according to the size of the cleft space) lip and palatal surgery will permit "catch-up" palatal growth and normalize palatal growth and development. (2) The amount of mucoperiosteal tissue relative to the size of the cleft space is important in determining the timing of palatal surgery, as it influences the degree of scarring and ultimately the palate's adult size and form. (3) Presurgical orthopedics (the use of appliances soon after birth) can stimulate palatal growth beyond its normal growth potential. RESULTS: In a previous project and again after reviewing the data already collected during the first year of this study, it has been shown that incremental changes in size of palatal segments in CUCLP and CBCLP cases prior to surgery vary slightly. The CBCLP cases grow slightly faster than CUCLP cases before surgery, but growth of the CBCLP cases decreases in acceleration after surgery. Reasons for these differences will be determined when more cases are analyzed and subjected to biostatistical analysis.

Adolescent↗

Morphometric analysis of B2cAMP induced reverse transformation in synchronized CHO cells.

Synchronized tranformed and reverse-transformed (by 10(-3) M B2cAMP) CHO-K1 cells, growing adherent to plastic, are characterized by means of geometric and densitometric parameters at the level of both the entire cell and of the nuclei at various time intervals after selective miotic detachment. Transformed and reverse-transformed cells triple-stained with Feulgen, Napthol Yellow S, and periodic acid-Schiff appeared very similar in terms of integrated optical density (IOD), related to either polysaccharides, protein, or DNA amount. On the other hand, a shift from a polygonal to a spindle-shaped morphology is a accompanied by a significant decrease in both form factor and average optical density (AOD) of intact cell and nuclei, which are the most conspicuous measured changes caused by B2cAMP, in addition to a lengthening of the cell cycle duration. In both control and treated cells, important and parallel cell-cycle-dependent modulations of geometric and densitometric parameters are also observed, for both the cytoplasmic (i.e., cell morphometry) and DNA space (i e., nuclear morphometry). Specifically, the modulation in nulear morphometry during G1, S, G2, and M phases confirms previous findings on synchronized HeLa cells. The optical density threshold-dependence of geometric parameters shows that, while becoming fusiform, the cytoplasm of reverse-transformed cells had a particularly low optical density precisely in the polar area. Utilization of such an approach in the development of an objective morphological classification of all cell lines grown as monolayers "in vitro" is also discussed.

Animals↗

Predictors of restenosis: a morphometric and quantitative evaluation by intravascular ultrasound.

Despite advances in catheter-based interventional techniques, restenosis remains a major complication of angioplasty. Recently, intravascular ultrasound imaging (IVUS) has provided new insight into plaque composition and geometric distribution inside the vessel. To investigate if IVUS-defined parameters can predict restenosis in patients after coronary angioplasty, we performed IVUS in 33 patients (33 lesions) after balloon angioplasty (n = 25) or directional atherectomy (n = 8). Qualitative analysis included assessment of plaque composition, plaque eccentricity, plaque fracture, and presence of dissection. In addition, minimal luminal diameter, percent diameter stenosis, percent area stenosis, plaque burden, and elastic recoil were quantitatively analyzed. Follow-up data were obtained 1, 2, and 6 months after angioplasty and were available for 30 patients. Angiographic restenosis occurred in 11 patients (group 1), and no restenosis occurred in 19 patients (group 2) by clinical (n = 10) or angiographic (n = 9) assessment. Plaque fracture was noted in 30% of group 1 patients and 74% of group 2 patients (p = 0.04). Major dissections were more frequent in group I than in group II (78% vs 10%, p = 0.009). Of the quantitative parameters analyzed, plaque burden was significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 (0.50 +/- 0.05 vs 0.34 +/- 0.05, p = 0.0001). In 78% of the patients with plaque burden of > 0.40, restenosis developed. Thus, of the various parameters analyzed, the absence of plaque fracture, the existence of a major dissection, and greater plaque burden were associated with increased incidence of restenosis. Our results indicate that IVUS can identify a subset of patients in whom restenosis is likely to develop. Information about the morphologic features of the atheroma and its composition may be used to modify the interventional strategy and thus optimize lumen size and possibly reduce the chance of restenosis.

Aged↗

Developmental changes in tracheal structure.

Mechanical properties of the proximal airways are known to change with development; the highly compliant airways of the immature animal become stiffer and less collapsible with increasing age. Although the relationship between tracheobronchial architecture and function has been described for adult physiology, little is known regarding this relationship during early development. This study was, therefore, designed to test the hypothesis that alterations in tracheal morphometry parallel developmental differences in tracheal functional properties. Tracheal segments obtained from 29 lambs ranging in age from 70% of gestation to full-term newborn lambs up to 6 d old were examined using anatomic, morphometric, and histochemical techniques. The results showed 1) progressive increases in the dimensions of the trachea and the tracheal wall components, 2) alterations in the geometric arrangement of the tracheal ring, and 3) changes in the compositional characteristics of the tracheal cartilage with maturation. These findings demonstrate alterations in tracheal architecture, each of which contribute to the greater stiffness of the trachea, in older animals. When considered together, these factors help explain the differences in tracheal functional characteristics with development.

Aging↗