Heterogeneity investigation at the single-cell level reveals morphological and phenotypic characteristics in cell populations. In clinical research, heterogeneity has important implications in the correct detection and interpretation of prognostic markers and in the analysis of patient-derived material. Among single-cell analysis, imaging flow cytometry allows combining information retrieved by single cell images with the throughput of fluidic platforms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF'openFrame' is a modular, low-cost, open-hardware microscopy platform that can be configured or adapted to most light microscopy techniques and is easily upgradeable or expandable to multiple modalities. The ability to freely mix and interchange both open-source and proprietary hardware components or software enables low-cost, yet research-grade instruments to be assembled and maintained. It also enables rapid prototyping of advanced or novel microscope systems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStructured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) is a key technology for high resolution and super-resolution imaging of biological cells and molecules. The spread of portable and easy-to-align SIM systems requires the development of novel methods to generate a light pattern and to shift it across the field of view of the microscope. Here we show a miniaturized chip that incorporates optical waveguides, splitters, and phase shifters, to generate a 2D structured illumination pattern suitable for SIM microscopy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Product risk assessment is the overall process of determining whether a product is judged safe for consumers to use. Among several methods for product risk assessment, RAPEX is the primary one used by regulators in the UK and EU. Despite its widespread use we identify several limitations of RAPEX, including a limited approach to handling uncertainty, especially in the absence of data, and the inability to incorporate causal explanations for using and interpreting the data.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Orthop Surg Traumatol
January 2023
Purpose: Clavicle fractures in the lateral third are associated with more complications. Various methods of internal fixation exist; however, there is no consensus which should be employed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of these various methods in our regional trauma unit.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPatients undergoing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) often experience anxiety and sometimes distress prior to and during scanning. Here a full MRI compatible virtual reality (VR) system is described and tested with the aim of creating a radically different experience. Potential benefits could accrue from the strong sense of immersion that can be created with VR, which could create sense experiences designed to avoid the perception of being enclosed and could also provide new modes of diversion and interaction that could make even lengthy MRI examinations much less challenging.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Reconstruction of extensive acetabular bone defects is one of the most challenging problems encountered by arthroplasty surgeons. Triflange patient matched implants (PMI) offer the potential advantages of immediate, rigid fixation with a superior individualized fit. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic midterm results of PMI in extensive acetabular defect reconstruction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe presenta robust, long-range optical autofocus system for microscopy utilizing machine learning. This can be useful for experiments with long image data acquisition times that may be impacted by defocusing resulting from drift of components, for example due to changes in temperature or mechanical drift. It is also useful for automated slide scanning or multiwell plate imaging where the sample(s) to be imaged may not be in the same horizontal plane throughout the image data acquisition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFElectron microscopy (EM) following immunofluorescence (IF) imaging is a vital tool for the diagnosis of human glomerular diseases, but the implementation of EM is limited to specialised institutions and it is not available in many countries. Recent progress in fluorescence microscopy now enables conventional widefield fluorescence microscopes to be adapted at modest cost to provide resolution below 50 nm in biological specimens. We show that stochastically switched single-molecule localisation microscopy can be applied to clinical histological sections stained with standard IF techniques and that such super-resolved IF may provide an alternative means to resolve ultrastructure to aid the diagnosis of kidney disease where EM is not available.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhilos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci
June 2021
Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) is a widespread methodology to image live and fixed biological structures smaller than the diffraction limits of conventional optical microscopy. Using recent advances in image up-scaling through deep learning models, we demonstrate a method to reconstruct 3D SIM image stacks with twice the axial resolution attainable through conventional SIM reconstructions. We further demonstrate our method is robust to noise and evaluate it against two-point cases and axial gratings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhilos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci
June 2021
We present a structured illumination microscopy system that projects a hexagonal pattern by the interference among three coherent beams, suitable for implementation in a light-sheet geometry. Seven images acquired as the illumination pattern is shifted laterally can be processed to produce a super-resolved image that surpasses the diffraction-limited resolution by a factor of over 2 in an exemplar light-sheet arrangement. Three methods of processing data are discussed depending on whether the raw images are available in groups of seven, individually in a stream or as a larger batch representing a three-dimensional stack.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA considerable number of clinical trials is being conducted globally in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including in low- and middle-income countries such as those in the Latin America and Caribbean region (LAC). Yet, an abundance of studies does not necessarily shorten the path to find safe and efficacious interventions for COVID-19. We analyze the trials for COVID-19 treatment and prevention that are registered from LAC countries in the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and identify a trend towards small repetitive non-rigorous studies that duplicate efforts and drain limited resources without producing meaningful conclusions on the safety and efficacy of the interventions being tested.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA considerable number of clinical trials is being conducted globally in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including in low- and middle-income countries such as those in the Latin America and Caribbean region (LAC). Yet, an abundance of studies does not necessarily shorten the path to find safe and efficacious interventions for COVID-19. We analyze the trials for COVID-19 treatment and prevention that are registered from LAC countries in the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and identify a trend towards small repetitive non-rigorous studies that duplicate efforts and drain limited resources without producing meaningful conclusions on the safety and efficacy of the interventions being tested.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRevision of a failed acetabular component in the presence of an intact femoral prosthesis comprises approximately 20% of revision total hip replacements performed by the senior author. During this procedure, the femoral trunnion is at risk of damage because of scratching from retractors, reamers, or other instruments. Scratching can result in mechanically assisted crevice corrosion or adverse local-tissue reaction or trunnionosis leading to implant failure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBehavioural change techniques are currently used by many global organisations and public institutions. The amassing evidence base is used to answer practical and scientific questions regarding what cognitive, affective, and environment factors lead to successful behavioural change in the laboratory and in the field. In this piece we show that there is also value to examining interventions that inadvertently fail in achieving their desired behavioural change (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLight-field microscopy (LFM) enables high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and light efficient volume imaging at fast frame rates. Voltage imaging with genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs) stands to particularly benefit from LFM's volumetric imaging capability due to high required sampling rates and limited probe brightness and functional sensitivity. We demonstrate subcellular resolution GEVI light-field imaging in acute mouse brain slices resolving dendritic voltage signals in three spatial dimensions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBayesian Networks (BNs) are graphical probabilistic models that have proven popular in medical applications. While numerous medical BNs have been published, most are presented fait accompli without explanation of how the network structure was developed or justification of why it represents the correct structure for the given medical application. This means that the process of building medical BNs from experts is typically ad hoc and offers little opportunity for methodological improvement.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is a recognized procedure for treatment of medial compartment osteoarthritis. Patellofemoral (PF) joint degeneration is widely considered to be a contraindication to medial compartment UKA. We examined the validity of this preconception using information gathered prospectively on 147 consecutive patients who underwent the Repicci II UKA for medial compartment osteoarthritis between July 1999 and September 2000 by the same surgeon.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Tools for app- and Web-based self-testing for identification of cognitive impairment are widely available but are of uncertain quality.
Objective: The objective of this study was to undertake a scoping review of app- and Web-based self-tests for cognitive impairment and determine the validity of these tests.
Methods: We conducted systematic searches in electronic databases, including Google search, Google Play Store, and iPhone Operating System App Store, using the search terms "Online OR Internet-based AND Memory OR Brain OR Dementia OR mild cognitive impairment OR MCI AND Test OR Screen OR Check.
Methods Appl Fluoresc
November 2019
We report a multidimensional luminescence microscope providing hyperspectral imaging and time-resolved (luminescence lifetime) imaging for the study of luminescent diamond defects. The instrument includes crossed-polariser white light transmission microscopy to reveal any birefringence that would indicate strain in the diamond lattice. We demonstrate the application of this new instrument to detect defects in natural and synthetic diamonds including N3, nitrogen and silicon vacancies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArginine vasopressin (AVP) and its type-2 receptor (V2R) play an essential role in the regulation of salt and water homeostasis by the kidneys. V2R activation also stimulates proliferation of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cell lines in vitro. The current studies investigated V2R expression and activity in human RCC tumors, and its role in RCC tumor growth.
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