Mobile based wound measurement

This paper proposes a portable wound area measurement method based on the segmentation of digital images. Its objective is to provide a practical, fast and non-invasive technique for medical staff to monitor the healing process of chronic wounds. Segmentation is based on active contour models which identifies the wound border irrespective of coloration and shape. The initial segmentation can also be modified by the user, providing higher control and accuracy. Area measurements are further normalized to remove effects of camera distance and angle. The application has been implemented for the Android platform version 2.2 with a prototype model running on Samsung Galaxy Tab. The results to evaluate the efficacy of the application have been encouraging with an accuracy level of 90

In Vitro Differentiated Human Stem Cell-Derived Neurons Reproduce Synaptic Synchronicity Arising during Neurodevelopment

Neurons differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) typically show regular spiking and synaptic activity but lack more complex network activity critical for brain development, such as periodic depolarizations including simultaneous involvement of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission. We generated human iPSC-derived neurons exhibiting spontaneous oscillatory activity after cultivation of up to 6 months, which resembles early oscillations observed in rodent neurons. This behavior was found in neurons generated using a more "native" embryoid body protocol, in contrast to a "fast" protocol based on NGN2 overexpression. A comparison with published data indicates that EB-derived neurons reach the maturity of neurons of the third trimester and NGN2-derived neurons of the second trimester of human gestation. Co-culturing NGN2-derived neurons with astrocytes only led to a partial compensation and did not reliably induce complex network activity. Our data will help selection of the appropriate iPSC differentiation assay to address specific questions related to neurodevelopmental disorders