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PubMed2005

Automatic morphometry of synaptic boutons of cultured cells using granulometric analysis of digital images.

Numbers, linear density, and surface area of synaptic boutons can be important parameters in studies on synaptic plasticity in cultured neurons. We present a method for automatic identification and morphometry of boutons based on filtering of digital images using granulometric analysis. Cultures of cortical neurons (DIV8 and DIV21) were fixed and marked with fluorescently labeled antibodies for synapsin I (a marker for synaptic boutons) and MAP-2 (a marker for dendrites). Images were acquired on a confocal microscope and automatically processed. Granulometry, a morphological operator sensitive to the geometry and size of objects, was used to construct a filter passing fuzzy fluorescent grains of a certain size. Next, the filter was overlaid with the original image (masking) and the positive pixels were identified by an integral intensity threshold (thresholding). Disjoint grains, representing individual boutons, were reconstructed from the connected pixels above the threshold, numbered and their area was measured. In total, 1498 boutons with a mean diameter of 1.63 +/- 0.49 microm (S.D.) were measured. Comparisons with manual counts showed that the proposed method was capable of identifying boutons in a systematic manner at the light microscopic level and was a viable alternative to manual bouton counting.

Algorithms↗

PubMed1994

Data management for toxicological studies.

Organized data management increases the reliability of statistical analysis. The basic purpose of data management is to assure the integrity and the quality of data. To assure data validity, establishing a checking system, such as data audit, would be desirable at the following points: protocol design, supervision of study schedule, definition of data, data collection, choice of tests and procedures, verification, data checking, data recording, data handling, data analysis, and data validation. To process an enormous amount of data on a multitude of items, use of a computerized system would be advantageous. The data processing system in toxicological studies should be based on a protocol-driven system, which gathers and records the data accurately. The main functions that are to be handled by computer are data collection, recording and retrieval via terminals, and statistical analysis of data and assembling of reports. One should be able to validate whether the computer system would perform its intended function accurately, reliably, and consistently. This paper discusses the basic considerations of data management and provides examples of the state of the computerized data management system and its validation.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Abdominal actinomycosis: barium enema and computed tomography findings.

A case of abdominal actinomycosis is described in a woman with recurrent right lower abdominal pain and low-grade fever without history of appendectomy. Past history included the use of an intrauterine device (IUD) until 10 years before manifestation of these symptoms. We followed up the patient, via diagnostic imaging, for 7 months. On initial barium enema, a polypoid lesion was visualized at the bottom of the cecum and there was constriction of the sigmoid colon; the appendix was not seen. Seven months later, poor extension at the cecum, severe constriction in the sigmoid colon, and narrowing of the terminal ileum were also visualized. On computed tomography (CT), the lesion was initially localized only in the ileocecal region adjacent to the sigmoid colon. After 7 months, the lesion had infiltrated adjacent anatomic components and showed direct infiltration of the pelvic space. Differential diagnosis was difficult, as it was not obvious whether this was a pelvic abscess due to inflammation or appendiceal carcinoma. Laparotomy was performed. Macroscopically, the lesion was not limited to the ileocecal region, but involved the right ureter, tubes the Fallopian and ovary, bladder, psoas muscle, and abdominal wall. Pathology findings showed, chronic inflammatory tissue with evidence of actinomycosis. Although previous reports have described a lack of specific findings in this disease. When actinomycosis is suspected, CT is recommended to define its extent.

Abdominal Abscess↗

PubMed2004

Synaptic relationships between axon terminals from the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus and gamma-aminobutyric acidergic cortical cells in the prelimbic cortex of the rat.

Although the reciprocal interconnections between the prefrontal cortex and the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus (MD) are well known, the involvement of inhibitory cortical interneurons in the neural circuit has not been fully defined. To address this issue, we conducted three combined neuroanatomical studies on the rat brain. First, the frequency and the spatial distribution of synapses made by reconstructed dendrites of nonpyramidal neurons were identified by impregnation of cortical cells with the Golgi method and identification of thalamocortical terminals by degeneration following thalamic lesions. Terminals from MD were found to make synaptic contacts with small dendritic shafts or spines of Golgi-impregnated nonpyramidal cells with very sparse dendritic spines. Second, a combined study that used anterograde transport of Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) and postembedding gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) immunocytochemistry indicated that PHA-L-labeled terminals from MD made synaptic junctions with GABA-immunoreactive dendritic shafts and spines. Nonlabeled dendritic spines were found to receive both axonal inputs from MD with PHA-L labelings and from GABAergic cells. In addition, synapses were found between dendritic shafts and axon terminals that were both immunoreactive for GABA. Third, synaptic connections between corticothalamic neurons that project to MD and GABAergic terminals were investigated by using wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase and postembedding GABA immunocytochemistry. GABAergic terminals in the prelimbic cortex made symmetrical synaptic contacts with retrogradely labeled corticothalamic neurons to MD. All of the synapses were found on cell somata and thick dendritic trunks. These results provide the first demonstration of synaptic contacts in the prelimbic cortex not only between thalamocortical terminals from MD and GABAergic interneurons but also between GABAergic terminals and corticothalamic neurons that project to MD. The anatomical findings indicate that GABAergic interneurons have a modulatory influence on excitatory reverberation between MD and the prefrontal cortex.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

[Computer-assisted in vivo study of capillary permeability].

Terminal circulation can be studied in vivo using capillaroscopy. This paper presents the results of systematic investigations of capillary permeability (KPU) in the nailfold. In addition to the morphology of capillary loops, we investigated the transcapillary passage and interstitial distribution of sodium fluorescein (Na-flu) in healthy persons (42) and in patients suffering from functional microangiopathies (17) or organic vascular disease (58). The effects of various therapeutic measures on the microcirculation were also studied. First, dynamic processes at the capillary loops were recorded on a video system. The second step consisted of quantification of the pericapillary light intensities (FLI) at predetermined times using a computerized video-densitometer. The measured variables, i.e. maximal interstitial FLI, diameter of the juxtacapillary halo (IK-H) and distance between the intracapillary column of red cells and the interstitial peak of FLI, provided information about the permeability of the capillaries and the interstitial diffusion of Na-flu. In healthy subjects, the interstitial FLI reached its highest values 10 sec after the appearance of Na-flu in the capillary loop, the distance between the peak of FLI and the intracapillary column of erythrocytes increased continuously over a period of 2 min, whereas the diameter of the IK-H reached a constant value after 20 sec. In patients suffering from functional microangiopathy, an increased pericapillary FLI as well as an enlarged juxtacapillary zone with elevated Na-flu concentrations could be established as objective criteria in addition to the already known alterations of the morphology of the capillary loops. Similar observations, but of much greater extent, were made in patients suffering from microvessels disease associated with collagen disease. The regional variation in the pericapillary FLI supports the assumption that morphological changes are present in these patients. KPU in patients suffering from organic macroangiopathy revealed no changes in comparison to healthy persons. The effects of conventional therapy in patients with reduced peripheral arterial perfusion on the parameters measured by KPU were of variable magnitude. The increase in trans-capillary leakage and interstitial dispersion of Na-flu was significant during systemic fibrinolysis and during the intra-arterial application of PGE1. The changes in the measured parameters were considerably smaller during therapy with phenprocoumarol and heparin, whereas treatment with inhibitors of platelet aggregation left the results of KPU unchanged.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Ergonomics of digital imaging.

There has been an increase in the use of digital imaging in recent years and radiologists have almost universally accepted the use of computers in their day-to-day work. Completely filmless radiology departments, with all reporting being done on visual display terminals and picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) around the department, are already a reality in many places in the UK and other parts of the world. There is a constant need of computers for literature searches on the web, e-mails, communication and preparing lectures and presentations. With this explosive increase in the use of computers in the hospital, it is imperative that the use of computer monitor screens for medical use is optimized in order to avoid eyestrain and fatigue. This is especially important as tired eyes and brains may be more likely to commit errors. We have reviewed the current literature to elaborate a few useful measures that can be taken to minimize the effect of excessive computer use in a soft-copy radiology reporting area on the eyes and the musculoskeletal system. We recommend that optimal placement of computer monitors with user-friendly PACS terminal interfaces will ensure greater acceptability and improve reporting efficiency and accuracy. Good work practices to ensure reduction of reporting errors are highlighted.

Computer Terminals↗

PubMed2006

A pseudoatom approach to molecular truncation: application in ab initio MBPT methods.

In this paper, we test the performance of the molecular truncation method of Mallik et al., which was originally applied at the semiempirical NDDO level, in ab initio MBPT methods. Pseudoatoms developed for the replacement of -OCH(3) and -OCH(2)CH(3) functional groups are used in optimizations of selected clusters, and the resulting geometries are compared to reference values taken from the full molecules. It is shown that the pseudoatoms, which consist of parametrized effective core potentials for the nearest neighbor interactions and an external charge field for long-range Coulomb effects, perform well at the MP2 and CCSD levels of theory for the suite of molecules to which they were applied. Representative timings for some of the pseudoatom-terminated clusters are presented, and it is seen that there is a significant reduction in computational time, yet the geometric configurations and deprotonation energies of the pseudoatom-terminated clusters are comparable to the more computationally expensive all-atom molecules.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1988

Modeling the dopaminergic nerve terminal.

A method is described for developing and evaluating models of neurochemical processes. Computer simulation and simplex optimization are used to examine a model of the dopaminergic nerve terminal of the rat striatum. In the model, synthesis, storage, release, uptake, and metabolism are described by a set of non-linear differential equations. Parameters of the model are optimized with respect to diverse experimental data. These data include steady state passage of radioactivity, decline in total dopamine after synthesis inhibition, and change in extracellular dopamine concentration during electrical stimulation.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

Effects of monocular deprivation on geniculocortical synapses in the cat.

In monocularly deprived (MD) cats, many cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) but few cells in the visual cortex respond to input from the deprived eye, suggesting that the connections to visual cortex from the deprived geniculate laminae may have been disrupted. I have examined these connections in MD cats by using electron microscopic autoradiography of visual cortex after injections of tritiated lysine into single laminae of LGN. After injections into either deprived or experienced laminae, there was label over terminals that contained mitochondria and round synaptic vesicles and that made asymmetric contacts with dendritic profiles. However, the terminals of deprived afferents differed from those of experienced afferents. They were 25% smaller, contained 33% fewer mitochondria, were more likely to make synapses that were presynaptically convex (and thus, perhaps, immature), and synapsed onto smaller spines. These morphological changes were greater for afferents to upper layer IV than for afferents to lower layer IV. The geniculocortical synapses from deprived laminae were also reduced in number. To correct for variations in injection size and for a probable reduction in protein synthesis by cells in the deprived laminae, I computed the ratio of labeled synaptic terminals to labeled myelinated axons. Injections into the deprived laminae labeled 43% fewer synaptic terminals per labeled myelinated axon than did injections into the experienced lamina. The finding that the synaptic terminals of deprived afferents are both abnormal morphologically and fewer in number can help to explain the reduced effectiveness of the deprived eye in driving cortical cells.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

A novel gene, DSCR5, from the distal Down syndrome critical region on chromosome 21q22.2.

Based on a detailed sequence of the distal Down syndrome critical region (DSCR), we predicted and molecularly cloned a novel gene, designated DSCR5. We determined the sequences of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) that almost matched the predicted cDNA sequence of DSCR5. Northern blot analysis showed that DSCR5 is expressed in several tissues including the liver, skeletal muscle, heart, pancreas and testis. To determine the 5'-end of DSCR5, the oligo-capping method was employed. Combining the EST sequence data and that from the oligo-capping experiments, we obtained the full-length cDNA sequence of DSCR5. DSCR5 had at least four types of alternatively spliced variants. According to the number of exons, they could be classified into two subtypes: DSCR5alpha and DSCR5beta. DSCR5alpha includes three splice variant subtypes, DSCR5alpha1, alpha2 and alpha3, which each has different first non-coding exon. In addition, the most abundantly isolated form, DSCR5alpha1, shows microheterogeneity of the mRNA start site. Comparison of the sequences between the predicted cDNA and the molecularly cloned cDNA revealed that the computer programs had limited validity to correctly predict the terminal exons. Thus, molecular cloning should always be required to complement the inadequacy of the computer predictions.

Alternative Splicing↗

PubMed1978

Measurements in microscopic images: an inexpensive device for semi-automatic analysis of microscopic images.

Measurement of histological and cytological parameters can be performed much faster and more accurate by means of a semi-automatic device that is described in detail. The system consists mainly of a medium-sized computer and one or more peripheral terminals. Each terminal incorporates a special measurement table for data acquisition, a keyboard for manual data input, and an interface. The software program for the evaluation and storage of the digital data is simple to write and offers a high degree of flexibility to the user. The system can be operated in real time.

Computers↗

PubMed1978

Modification and application of the computerized automatic audiometer.

Recently, medical information processing systems applying computers have achieved marked advances in parallel with the development of highly accurate automatic measuring instruments. The authors already in 1974 developed and reported a computerized automatic audiometer containing a micro-computer which stored a program for audiometric procedures. Subsequently the authors have developed a compact, multi-purpose audiometric instrument which executes the standard air-bone conduction audiometry, with the exclusion of masking, automatically with a built-in micro-computer. An outline of the instrument is as follows: 1. The instrument is composed of a memory, a control unit, programs for data processing and measurement, a character display for instructing subjects and an audiogram display. It can be operated manually in the same way as a conventional audiometer. 2. Test errors and any abnormally large differences between the responses of the two ears can be detected automatically, and the tests can then be re-executed manually after finishing the automatic procedure for correction of the data. 3. The instrument is provided with output terminals for connection to an external computer or other peripheral equipment. It is designed to be compact and light weight.

Adult↗

PubMed1981

Orderly anomalous retinal projections to the medial geniculate, ventrobasal, and lateral posterior nuclei of the hamster.

Experiments were performed to determine (1) under what conditions early brain surgery can cause sensory afferents to the thalamus to form connections at abnormal thalamic sites and (2) the extent to which such ectopic projections are receptotopically organized. In newborn Syrian hamsters, two of the retina's principal synaptic targets, the superior colliculus and dorsal lateral genicultae nucleus, were destroyed, respectively, by a direct lesion and by retrograde degeneration following a lesion of the occipital cortex. In th same brains, alternative terminal space for the retinofugal axons was made available in auditory (medical geniculate) or somatosensory (ventrobasal)thalamic nuclei by lesions of ascending auditory or somatosensory pathways, respectively; additional terminal space was made in the lateral posterior nucleus by degeneration of afferents from the superior colliculus. The projections of the contralateral retina were traced in neonatally operated adults by making one or two small peripheral retinal lesions and intraocular injections of 3H-proline 5 days and 1 day, respectively, prior to sacrifice. The neonatal surgery reliably produced anomalous crossed retinal projections to the partially deafferented structures. These projections terminate preferentially at the nuclear surfaces. Computer reconstructions from serial sections demonstrated several signs of spatial order suggestive of receptotopic organization in the anomalous retinothalamic projections. In order of increasing stringency, these signs (which are not mutually exclusive) are: (1) In each nucleus, a restricted retinal sector gives rise to a limited part of the abnormal projection. (2) In each nucleus, different parts of the retina give rise to different parts of the anomalous projection. (3) In each nucleus, there is more or less consistent polarity of the anomalous connection. Each small retinal sector appears to be represented along a "line of projection" in each of its abnormal thalamic targets, as it normally is in the dorsal and ventral lateral geniculate nuclei and in the superior colliculus. In some brains, some of the abnormal projections produce only a partial representation of the retina. However, in a single animal, a retinal sector not represented in the anomalous projections to one nucleus can contribute to the abnormal connections with another nucleus. In additional experiments, and attempt was made to direct developing auditory and somatosensory fibers normally terminating in the medial geniculate and ventrobasal nuclei, respectively, to anomalous thalamic targets. The axons were deprived of some of their normal thalamic sites of termination and alternative terminal space was made available in another thalamic sensory nucleus. These experiments failed to produce reliable evidence of ectopic auditory or somatosensory thalamic projections.

Animals↗

PubMed1983

COSREEL: computerised recording system for herd health information management.

COSREEL (Computer System for Recording Events affecting Economically important Livestock) is an animal health recording system which has been designed for the management of cattle, sheep and pigs kept at the ARC Institute for Research on Animal Diseases. Unlike other, numerical, coding systems for the recording of disease, COSREEL has a versatile alpha-numeric coding system which can record diagnosis of disease, local and general symptoms, medical and surgical treatment, vaccination and antiserum therapy, therapeutic management changes and tests with their results. The system is used for recording management, veterinary and milk data, and is a terminal based system using a remote computer. Various lists for action are produced for both herd managers and clinicians including weekly reports of the production and fertility status of individual cows, and lists of cows due for pregnancy diagnosis or infertility investigation. This paper describes the general features of COSREEL, gives examples of the way diagnoses are coded and discusses the future potential of such a system for the development of a central data base for epidemiological analysis.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

On-line computer management of cardiac surgical data.

The surgeon (or one of his assistants) enters, in a computer file, information on open-heart surgical procedures though a remote terminal located in the recovery room. Clinical and historical findings, complications occurring during the immediate postoperative period, and postmortem data when applicable are entered in the course of the hospital stay or after discharge. Relevant information entering the computer system in other hospital departments is automatically incorporated in the open-heart surgery file. A final multicopy operative report is printed in the recovery room shortly after the surgical procedure is completed. All information on patients in the file constitutes a permanent and dynamic data base that is accessible at any time from any remote terminal in the hospital computer system. This data base contains an average of 500 items of information per surgical procedure and is available via an on-line retrieval program for both quality control purposes and extrapolation of prognostic data on new patients.

Cardiac Care Facilities↗

PubMed1975

A computer program that evaluates patients with hypercalcemia.

A computer program has been developed to assist the physician in managing patients with hypercalcemia. The program requests appropriate information, such as the patient's serum calcium concentration, age and x-ray results. Based on the abnormalities detected, the program asks additional questions needed to suggest the most helpful course of action for evaluating or treating the patient's hypercalcemia. As soon as the data have been entered, the program generates an evaluation note that includes diagnostic possibilities, suggestions for additional laboratory studies, therapeutic recommendations and references to the medical literature. The program can be used from any general purpose teletype-compatible terminal (including cathode ray tube displays) connected to the Bell Telephone System. The time required to enter the data and obtain the evaluation note is approximately 4 minutes with a teletypewriter, and less if a faster terminal is used. The cost for computer time is comparable to that of a laboratory test. Comparison of diagnoses produced by the program with those obtained from pathologic examination of from consulting endocrinolgists shows that the program is sufficiently accurate for clinical use. Finnally, the explanation of the pathophysiology contained in the evaluation note may be useful to the student.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

A temperature-based feedback control system for electromagnetic phased-array hyperthermia: theory and simulation.

A hybrid proportional-integral-in-time and cost-minimizing-in-space feedback control system for electromagnetic, deep regional hyperthermia is proposed. The unique features of this controller are that (1) it uses temperature, not specific absorption rate, as the criterion for selecting the relative phases and amplitudes with which to drive the electromagnetic phased-array used for hyperthermia and (2) it requires on-line computations that are all deterministic in duration. The former feature, in addition to optimizing the treatment directly on the basis of a clinically relevant quantity, also allows the controller to sense and react to time- and temperature-dependent changes in local blood perfusion rates and other factors that can significantly impact the temperature distribution quality of the delivered treatment. The latter feature makes it feasible to implement the scheme on-line in a real-time feedback control loop. This is in sharp contrast to other temperature optimization techniques proposed in the literature that generally involve an iterative approximation that cannot be guaranteed to terminate in a fixed amount of computational time. An example of its application is presented to illustrate the properties and demonstrate the capability of the controller to sense and compensate for local, time-dependent changes in blood perfusion rates.

Body Temperature↗

PubMed1996

Is computer use a risk factor for myopia?

BACKGROUND: Many patients who become myopic or who undergo increases in myopia as adults have concerns about whether the use of video display terminals (VDTs) contributes to these changes in refractive error. This paper is an overview of the current literature on topics concerning VDTs and factors related to proposed etiologies for myopia. METHODS: Selected literature is reviewed on the relationship between VDTs and asthenopia, fatigue, accommodation, and vergence. Clinical studies of myopic progression and transient myopia among VDT users are considered, as is television viewing as a risk factor for juvenile myopia. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: Reports of asthenopia are common with VDT use by a factor of 1.4 to 1.5, compared to conventional office work. Questions of comparability remain between VDT users and nonusers with respect to confounding variables such as the number of work hours. Proofreading on a VDT appears to be less efficient than using printed copy. Despite screen flicker and reflections, the accommodative response appears to be accurate to a VDT. Transient, fatigue-induced changes in accommodation and vergence may occur after work with VDTs. Despite these near point changes, there is no compelling evidence in the literature that suggests there is a significant increase in the risk of myopia onset or progression from the use of VDTs by adults compared to other forms of near work.

Accommodation, Ocular↗