Spatial perception in stereoscopic augmented reality based on multifocus sensing.

In many areas ranging from medical imaging to visual entertainment, 3D information acquisition and display is a key task. In this regard, in multifocus computational imaging, stacks of images of a certain 3D scene are acquired under different focus configurations and are later combined by means of post-capture algorithms based on image formation model in order to synthesize images with novel viewpoints of the scene. Stereoscopic augmented reality devices, through which is possible to simultaneously visualize the three dimensional real world along with overlaid digital stereoscopic image pair, could benefit from the binocular content allowed by multifocus computational imaging.

Real-time phase retrieval in division of aperture microscopy with the transport of intensity equation.

The transport of intensity equation (TIE) allows to recover the phase of a microscopy sample from differently focused intensity measures along the axial direction of its optical field. In the present work, we propose a cost-effective technique for snapshot phase retrieval with TIE. The optics of a commercially available camera is replaced with a doublet system consisting of a microscope objective and a lenslet array with an extra lens mask attached to it.

Intracerebellar injection of monocytic immature myeloid cells prevents the adverse effects caused by stereotactic surgery in a model of cerebellar neurodegeneration.

Background: Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) constitute a recently discovered bone-marrow-derived cell type useful for dealing with neuroinflammatory disorders. However, these cells are only formed during inflammatory conditions from immature myeloid cells (IMCs) that acquire immunosuppressive activity, thus being commonly gathered from diseased animals. Then, to obtain a more clinically feasible source, we characterized IMCs directly derived from healthy bone marrow and proved their potential immunosuppressive activity under pathological conditions in vitro.

Immunohistochemical distribution of secretagogin in the mouse brain.

Introduction: Calcium is essential for the correct functioning of the central nervous system, and calcium-binding proteins help to finely regulate its concentration. Whereas some calcium-binding proteins such as calmodulin are ubiquitous and are present in many cell types, others such as calbindin, calretinin, and parvalbumin are expressed in specific neuronal populations. Secretagogin belongs to this latter group and its distribution throughout the brain is only partially known.

Oleoylethanolamide Treatment Modulates Both Neuroinflammation and Microgliosis, and Prevents Massive Leukocyte Infiltration to the Cerebellum in a Mouse Model of Neuronal Degeneration.

Neurodegenerative diseases involve an exacerbated neuroinflammatory response led by microglia that triggers cytokine storm and leukocyte infiltration into the brain. PPARα agonists partially dampen this neuroinflammation in some models of brain insult, but neuronal loss was not the triggering cause in any of them. This study examines the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of the PPARα agonist oleoylethanolamide (OEA) in the Purkinje Cell Degeneration (PCD) mouse, which exhibits striking neuroinflammation caused by aggressive loss of cerebellar Purkinje neurons.

A community-of-practice-based evaluation methodology for knowledge intensive computational methods and its application to multimorbidity decision support.

Objective: The study has dual objectives. Our first objective (1) is to develop a community-of-practice-based evaluation methodology for knowledge-intensive computational methods. We target a whitebox analysis of the computational methods to gain insight on their functional features and inner workings.

Generalized Hough transform for 3D object recognition and visualization in integral imaging.

Object recognition is an automated image processing application of great interest in areas ranging from defect inspection to robot vision. In this regard, the generalized Hough transform is a well-established technique for the recognition of geometrical features even when they are partially occluded or corrupted by noise. To extend the original algorithm-aimed at detecting 2D geometrical features out of single images-we propose the robust integral generalized Hough transform, which corresponds to transformation under the generalized Hough transform of an elemental image array obtained from a 3D scene under integral imaging capture.

The eNOS isoform exhibits increased expression and activation in the main olfactory bulb of nNOS knock-out mice.

The main olfactory bulb (MOB) is a neural structure that processes olfactory information. Among the neurotransmitters present in the MOB, nitric oxide (NO) is particularly relevant as it performs a wide variety of functions. In this structure, NO is produced mainly by neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) but also by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS).

Modelling and assessing one- and two-drug dose titrations.

In health-care, there is a need to quantify medical errors. Among these errors, we observe wrong dose prescriptions. Drug dose titration (DT) is the process by which dosage is progressively adjusted to the patient till a steady dose is reached.

Computational multifocus fluorescence microscopy for three-dimensional visualization of multicellular tumor spheroids.

Significance: Three-dimensional (3D) visualization of multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) in fluorescence microscopy can rapidly provide qualitative morphological information about the architecture of these cellular aggregates, which can recapitulate key aspects of their in vivo counterpart.

Aim: The present work is aimed at overcoming the shallow depth-of-field (DoF) limitation in fluorescence microscopy while achieving 3D visualization of thick biological samples under study.

Approach: A custom-built fluorescence microscope with an electrically focus-tunable lens was developed to optically sweep in-depth the structure of MCTS.

The Selective Loss of Purkinje Cells Induces Specific Peripheral Immune Alterations.

The progression of neurodegenerative diseases is reciprocally associated with impairments in peripheral immune responses. We investigated different contexts of selective neurodegeneration to identify specific alterations of peripheral immune cells and, at the same time, discover potential biomarkers associated to this pathological condition. Consequently, a model of human cerebellar degeneration and ataxia -the Purkinje Cell Degeneration (PCD) mouse- has been employed, as it allows the study of different processes of selective neuronal death in the same animal, i.

Proteolytic activity and degradation of bovine versus human dentin matrices.

Objective: Non-human teeth have been commonly used in research as replacements for human teeth, and potential dissimilarities between the dental tissues should be considered when interpreting the outcomes. To compare the proteolytic activity and degradation rate of bovine and human dentin matrices.

Methodology: Dentin beam specimens were obtained from human molars (n=30) and bovine incisors (n=30).

Forms and Methods for Interferon's Encapsulation.

Interferons (IFNs) are cytokines involved in the immune response that act on innate and adaptive immunity. These proteins are natural cell-signaling glycoproteins expressed in response to viral infections, tumors, and biological inducers and constitute the first line of defense of vertebrates against infectious agents. They have been marketed for more than 30 years with considerable impact on the global therapeutic protein market thanks to their diversity in terms of biological activities.

Mortality in patients treated for COVID-19 in the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital during the first phase of the pandemic: Derivation of a risk model for emergency departments.

Objectives: To develop a risk model to predict 30-day mortality after emergency department treatment for COVID-19.

Material And Methods: Observational retrospective cohort study including 2511 patients with COVID-19 who came to our emergency department between March 1 and April 30, 2020. We analyzed variables with Kaplan Meier survival and Cox regression analyses.

Oleoylethanolamide Delays the Dysfunction and Death of Purkinje Cells and Ameliorates Behavioral Defects in a Mouse Model of Cerebellar Neurodegeneration.

Oleoylethanolamide (OEA) is an endocannabinoid that has been proposed to prevent neuronal damage and neuroinflammation. In this study, we evaluated the effects of OEA on the disruption of both cerebellar structure and physiology and on the behavior of Purkinje cell degeneration (PCD) mutant mice. These mice exhibit cerebellar degeneration, displaying microtubule alterations that trigger the selective loss of Purkinje cells and consequent behavioral impairments.

Gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery as an effective tool in primary CNS lymphoma: Evaluation of stereotactic radiosurgery and methotrexate treatment in a prospective and observational clinical research study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the progression of Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma (PCNSL) in patients treated with methotrexate (MTX) versus those treated with a combination of Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) and MTX. Progression was measured via brain lesion count and tumor volume.

Methods: This observational and prospective cohort study evaluated the outcome of SRS treatment of PCNSL in one hundred twenty-eight subjects.

Secretagogin expression in the mouse olfactory bulb under sensory impairments.

The interneurons of the olfactory bulb (OB) are characterized by the expression of different calcium-binding proteins, whose specific functions are not fully understood. This is the case of one of the most recently discovered, the secretagogin (SCGN), which is expressed in interneurons of the glomerular and the granule cell layers, but whose function in the olfactory pathway is still unknown. To address this question, we examined the distribution, generation and activity of SCGN-positive interneurons in the OB of two complementary models of olfactory impairments: Purkinje Cell Degeneration (PCD) and olfactory-deprived mice.

Factors associated with revisits by patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection discharged from a hospital emergency department.

Objectives: To analyze emergency department (ED) revisits from patients discharged with possible coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Material And Methods: Retrospective observational study of consecutive patients who came to the ED over a period of 2 months and were diagnosed with possible COVID-19. We analyzed clinical and epidemiologic variables, treatments given in the ED, discharge destination, need to revisit, and reasons for revisits.

What is the potential impact of the IsoDAR cyclotron on radioisotope production: a review.

The IsoDAR collaboration is developing a high-current cyclotron for a neutrino search experiment. Designed to deliver 10 mA of 60 MeV protons, the current and power of this cyclotron far exceed those of existing accelerators, opening new possibilities for the production of radiopharmaceutical isotopes, producing very high-activity samples in very short times. The cyclotron can also be easily configured to deliver ions other than protons including 1 mA of alpha particles at 240 MeV: this flexibility gives a broad reach into new areas of isotope production.

Fully invariant generalized Hough transform by out-of-focus multiview sensing with pupil array.

Recognition of geometrical shapes in real-time and fully invariant (i.e., invariant under changes in position, scale, and orientation) is a demanding task in automated image analysis.

Effects of Visual Cues on Consumer Expectation, Emotion and Wellness Responses, and Purchase Intent of Red Chili Powders.

The effects of visual cues on familiarity, expected heat intensity, liking of appearance, emotional and wellness responses, and purchase intent (PI) before and after disclosing information associated with red chili powders were determined using a 3-point scale, a 15-cm line scale, a 9-point hedonic scale, a 15-cm line scale, and a binomial scale, respectively. In this study, consumers only visually evaluated red chili powder samples without sniffing nor tasting. Eight chili powders were prepared according to a 2 factorial design: roasted (Ro) compared with unroasted (Un); whole pod with seeds (Wh) compared with seedless (Sl); coarsely (Cr) compared with finely ground (Gr).