34 research outputs found
Preliminary results of the project A.I.D.A. (Auto Immunity: Diagnosis Assisted by computer)
In this paper, are presented the preliminary results of the A.I.D.A. (Auto Immunity: Diagnosis
Assisted by computer) project which is developed in the frame of the cross-border cooperation Italy-Tunisia.
According to the main objectives of this project, a database of interpreted Indirect ImmunoFluorescence (IIF)
images on HEp 2 cells is being collected thanks to the contribution of Italian and Tunisian experts involved in
routine diagnosis of autoimmune diseases. Through exchanging images and double reporting; a Gold Standard
database, containing around 1000 double reported IIF images with different patterns including negative tests,
has been settled. This Gold Standard database has been used for optimization of a computing solution (CADComputer
Aided Detection) and for assessment of its added value in order to be used along with an
immunologist as a second reader in detection of auto antibodies for autoimmune disease diagnosis. From the
preliminary results obtained, the CAD appeared more powerful than junior immunologists used as second
readers and may significantly improve their efficacy
Computer-Assisted Classification Patterns in Autoimmune Diagnostics: The AIDA Project
Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are significant biomarkers in the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases in humans, done by mean of
Indirect ImmunoFluorescence (IIF)method, and performed by analyzing patterns and fluorescence intensity. This paper introduces
the AIDA Project (autoimmunity: diagnosis assisted by computer) developed in the framework of an Italy-Tunisia cross-border
cooperation and its preliminary results. A database of interpreted IIF images is being collected through the exchange of images
and double reporting and a Gold Standard database, containing around 1000 double reported images, has been settled. The Gold
Standard database is used for optimization of aCAD(Computer AidedDetection) solution and for the assessment of its added value,
in order to be applied along with an Immunologist as a second Reader in detection of autoantibodies. This CAD system is able to
identify on IIF images the fluorescence intensity and the fluorescence pattern. Preliminary results show that CAD, used as second
Reader, appeared to perform better than Junior Immunologists and hence may significantly improve their efficacy; compared with
two Junior Immunologists, the CAD system showed higher Intensity Accuracy (85,5% versus 66,0% and 66,0%), higher Patterns
Accuracy (79,3% versus 48,0% and 66,2%), and higher Mean Class Accuracy (79,4% versus 56,7% and 64.2%)
Enhancing surface production of negative ions using nitrogen doped diamond in a deuterium plasma
The production of negative ions is of significant interest for applications
including mass spectrometry, particle acceleration, material surface
processing, and neutral beam injection for magnetic confinement fusion. Methods
to improve the efficiency of the surface production of negative ions, without
the use of low work function metals, are of interest for mitigating the complex
engineering challenges these materials introduce. In this study we investigate
the production of negative ions by doping diamond with nitrogen. Negatively
biased ( V or V), nitrogen doped micro-crystalline diamond films
are introduced to a low pressure deuterium plasma (helicon source operated in
capacitive mode, 2 Pa, 26 W) and negative ion energy distribution functions
(NIEDFs) are measured via mass spectrometry with respect to the surface
temperature (30C to 750C) and dopant concentration. The
results suggest that nitrogen doping has little influence on the yield when the
sample is biased at V, but when a relatively small bias voltage of
V is applied the yield is increased by a factor of 2 above that of un-doped
diamond when its temperature reaches 550C. The doping of diamond with
nitrogen is a new method for controlling the surface production of negative
ions, which continues to be of significant interest for a wide variety of
practical applications
Application of an electronic tongue for Tunisian olive oils' classification according to olive cultivar or physicochemical parameters
Olive oil commercialization has a great impact on the economy of several countries, namely Tunisia, being prone to frauds. Therefore, it is important to establish analytical techniques to ensure labeling correctness concerning olive oil quality and olive cultivar. Traditional analytical techniques are quite expensive, time consuming and hardly applied in situ, considering the harsh environments of the olive industry. In this work, the feasibility of applying a potentiometric electronic tongue with cross-sensitivity lipid membranes to discriminate Tunisian olive oils according to their quality level (i.e., extra virgin, virgin or lampante olive oils) or autochthonous olive cultivar (i.e., cv ChĂ©toui and cv Shali) was evaluated for the first time. Linear discrimination analysis coupled with the simulated annealing variable selection algorithm showed that the signal profiles of olive oils hydroethanolic extracts allowed olive oils discrimination according to physicochemical quality level (classification model based on 25 signals enabling 84 ± 9% correct classifications for repeated K-fold cross-validation), and olive cultivar (classification model based on 20 signals with an average sensitivity of 94 ± 6% for repeated K-fold cross-validation), regardless of the geographical origin and olive variety or the olive quality, respectively. The results confirmed, for the first time, the potential discrimination of the electronic tongue, attributed to the observed quantitative response (sensitivities ranging from 66.6 to +57.7 mV/decade) of the E-tongue multi-sensors towards standard solutions of polar compounds (aldehydes, esters and alcohols) usually found in olive oils and that are related to their sensory positive attributes like green and fruity.This work was financially supported by Project POCI-01â0145-FEDER-006984âAssociate Laboratory LSRE-LCM and by Project UID/QUI/00616/2013âCQ-VR both funded by FEDERâFundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional through COMPETE2020-Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI)âand by national funds through FCTFundação para a CiĂȘncia e a Tecnologia, Portugal. Strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit is also acknowledged. Nuno Rodrigues thanks FCT, POPH-QREN and FSE for the Ph.D. Grant (SFRH/ BD/104038/2014).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
[Retracted] Trans-silencing effect of the 3'RR immunoglobulin heavy chain enhancer on IgÎș transcription at the pro-B cell stage
The authors have retracted this Correspondence. After the publication of this correspondence, it came to the authorsâ attention that the control RAG2â/â mouse was a RAG2â/âÎłcâ/â mouse. This point resulted in the conclusions being considered invalid. The authors apologize to the journal and its readers for any inconvenience caused. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41423-021-00716-6International audienceThe authors have retracted this Correspondence. After the publication of this correspondence, it came to the authorsâ attention that the control RAG2â/â mouse was a RAG2â/âÎłcâ/â mouse. This point resulted in the conclusions being considered invalid. The authors apologize to the journal and its readers for any inconvenience caused. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41423-021-00716-
Volatile compounds and compositional quality of virgin olive oil from Oueslati variety: Influence of geographical origin
Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) was applied to the analysis of volatile compounds of virgin olive oils from Oueslati variety cultivated in different geographical areas. Thus, olives at the same stage of maturation were harvested from seven regions in the Centre and the South of the country for oil extraction and analysis. Twenty-seven compounds were characterised by GC-FID and GCâMS. Compounds belonging mainly to alcohols, esters, aldehydes, ketones and hydrocarbons chemical classes characterised the volatile profiles. Significant differences in the proportion of volatiles from oils of different geographical origins were detected. The results suggest that, besides genetic factors, environmental conditions influence volatile formatio
Assessment of structural, optical, magnetic, magnetocaloric properties and critical phenomena of La0.57Nd0.1Sr0.18Ag0.15MnO3 system at room temperature
International audienc