Publications by authors named "Niamh Brady"

Accurate labeling of specific layers in the human cerebral cortex is crucial for advancing our understanding of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Building on recent advancements in ultra-high-resolution ex vivo MRI, we present a novel semi-supervised segmentation model capable of identifying supragranular and infragranular layers in ex vivo MRI with unprecedented precision. On a dataset consisting of 17 whole-hemisphere ex vivo scans at 120 $\mu $m, we propose a Multi-resolution U-Nets framework that integrates global and local structural information, achieving reliable segmentation maps of the entire hemisphere, with Dice scores over 0.

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3D reconstruction of human brain volumes at high resolution is now possible thanks to advancements in tissue clearing methods and fluorescence microscopy techniques. Analyzing the massive data produced with these approaches requires automatic methods able to perform fast and accurate cell counting and localization. Recent advances in deep learning have enabled the development of various tools for cell segmentation.

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Introduction: Shoulder pain is common and associated with substantial morbidity. Different treatment strategies are being prescribed with equivocal results. Virtual reality (VR) is a novel technology and emerging research suggests that VR may be a promising alternative to current treatments.

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Article Synopsis
  • Despite advancements in clearing techniques, processing human brains postmortem is still challenging because of their size and complex structure.
  • This paper introduces the SHORT protocol, which allows for simultaneous processing of multiple brain sections for improved tissue clearing, labeling, and imaging.
  • By utilizing light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) with the SHORT method, researchers can quickly reconstruct 3D images of brain architecture, helping to identify various neuronal subpopulations in a more efficient way.
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Accurate labeling of specific layers in the human cerebral cortex is crucial for advancing our understanding of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Leveraging recent advancements in ultra-high resolution MRI, we present a novel semi-supervised segmentation model capable of identifying supragranular and infragranular layers in MRI with unprecedented precision. On a dataset consisting of 17 whole-hemisphere scans at 120 m, we propose a multi-resolution U-Nets framework (MUS) that integrates global and local structural information, achieving reliable segmentation maps of the entire hemisphere, with Dice scores over 0.

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Background: Virtual Reality (VR) is an immersive computer-generated environment that provides a multi-sensory experience for the user. Modern technology allows the user to explore and interact with the virtual environment, offering opportunities for rehabilitation. The use of immersive VR in the management of musculoskeletal shoulder pain is relatively new and research is required to demonstrate its feasibility and effectiveness in this field.

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The combination of optical tissue transparency with immunofluorescence allows the molecular characterization of biological tissues in 3D. However, adult human organs are particularly challenging to become transparent because of the autofluorescence contributions of aged tissues. To meet this challenge, we optimized SHORT (SWITCH-HO-antigen Retrieval-TDE), a procedure based on standard histological treatments in combination with a refined clearing procedure to clear and label portions of the human brain.

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Shoulder pain accounts for a large proportion of musculoskeletal disorders and years lived with disability. Musculoskeletal shoulder pain is challenging to manage and while research evidence suggests that exercise should be a cornerstone of shoulder pain rehabilitation, the exact type and dosage of exercise is unclear. Adherence is a barrier to successful outcomes with exercise-based management of musculoskeletal pain, especially for those with co-morbidities, high pain levels and reported boredom associated with competing prescribed exercise.

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The combination of tissue clearing techniques with advanced optical microscopy facilitates the achievement of three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of macroscopic specimens at high resolution. Whole mouse organs or even bodies have been analyzed, while the reconstruction of the human nervous system remains a challenge. Although several tissue protocols have been proposed, the high autofluorescence and variable post-mortem conditions of human specimens negatively affect the quality of the images in terms of achievable transparency and staining contrast.

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The most recent British Transplant Society (BTS) guidelines recommend that office blood pressure (BP) monitoring in living donors is sufficient for the assessment of hypertension (HTN) and those with BP >140/90 should be further assessed using ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). ABPM can detect diurnal and nocturnal variation in BP, thus it can identify masked HTN. The aim of the current study is to assess reliability of ABPM vesus office BP monitoring for assessment in living kidney donors.

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Introduction: Patients with diabetes mellitus admitted to hospital with COVID-19 have poorer outcomes. However, the drivers of poorer outcomes are not fully elucidated. We performed detailed characterization of patients with COVID-19 to determine the clinical and biochemical factors that may be drivers of poorer outcomes.

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Sudden application of load along a sagittal or coronal axis has been used to study trunk stiffness, but not axial (vertical) load. This study introduces a new method for sudden-release axial load perturbation. Prima facie validity was supported by comparison with standard mechanical systems.

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