Application of ImageJ in Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCT-A): A Literature Review

Background. This study aimed to review the literature on the application of ImageJ in optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) images. Methods. A general search was performed in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases. The authors evaluated each of the selected articles in order to assess the implementation of ImageJ in OCT-A images. Results. ImageJ can aid in reducing artifacts, enhancing image quality to increase the accuracy of the process and analysis, processing and analyzing images, generating comparable parameters such as the parameters that assess perfusion of the layers (vessel density (VD), skeletonized density (SD), and vessel length density (VLD)) and the parameters that evaluate the structure of the layers (fractal dimension (FD), vessel density index (VDI), and lacunarity (LAC)), and the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) that are used widely in the retinal and choroidal studies), and establishing diagnostic criteria. It can help to save time when the dataset is huge with numerous plugins and options for image processing and analysis with reliable results. Diverse studies implemented distinct binarization and thresholding techniques, resulting in disparate outcomes and incomparable parameters. Uniformity in methodology is required to acquire comparable data from studies employing diverse processing and analysis techniques that yield varied outcomes. Conclusion. Researchers and professionals might benefit from using ImageJ because of how quickly and correctly it processes and analyzes images. It is highly adaptable and potent software, allowing users to evaluate images in a variety of ways. There exists a diverse range of methodologies for analyzing OCTA images through the utilization of ImageJ. However, it is imperative to establish a standardized strategy to ensure the reliability and consistency of the method for research purposes

Correlation of pathologic findings of IgA nephropathy with clinical and laboratory data with regards to the Oxford-MEST-C classification

The Oxford classification system has been found to have significant correlations with clinical and laboratory data in patients with IgA nephropathy. Studies have shown that higher grades of mesangial hypercellularity and endocapillary hypercellularity are associated with younger age, higher blood pressure, and higher levels of proteinuria. Segmental glomerulosclerosis has been found to be associated with more severe proteinuria, lower serum albumin levels, and higher levels of creatinine. Tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis has been associated with older age, higher serum creatinine levels, and lower estimated glomerular filtration rates

Sensory and Motor Behavior Evidences Supporting the Usefulness of Conditioned Medium from Dental Pulp-Derived Stem Cells in Spinal Cord Injury in Rats

Study Design Experimental animal study. Purpose This study aimed to assess effects of conditioned medium (CM) of dental pulp-derived stem cells loaded in collagen hydrogel on functional recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI). Overview of Literature SCI affects sensory and motor functions, and behavioral recovery is the most essential purpose of therapeutic intervention. Recent studies have reported that CM from dental pulp-derived stem cells has therapeutic benefits. In addition, collagen hydrogel acts as a drug delivery system in SCI experiments. Methods Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) were cultured, and SHED-CM was harvested and concentrated. Collagen hydrogel containing SHED-CM was prepared. The rats were divided into five groups receiving laminectomy, compressive SCI with or without intraspinal injection of biomaterials (SHED-CM), and collagen hydrogel with or without SHED-CM. Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scoring, inclined plane, cold allodynia, and beam walk tests were performed for 6 weeks to assess locomotor, motor, sensory, and sensory-motor performances, respectively. Results Scores of the rats receiving SHED-CM loaded in collagen hydrogel were significantly better than those of the other injured groups at 1-week post-injury for BBB, 2 weeks for inclined plane, 2 weeks for cold allodynia, and 4 weeks for beam walk tests (p <0.05). The differences remained significant throughout the study. Conclusions Intraspinal administration of SHED-CM loaded in collagen hydrogel leads to improved functional recovery and proposes a cell-free therapeutic approach for SCI

Construcciones causativas en lenguas iranias occidentales

Tesis inédita leída el 15-12-2003la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Departamento de Lingüístic

A Survey of Sophisticated Capital Budgeting Techniques, Risk and Inflation Analysis in Long Term Projects

This study is investigating the extent of using and effectiveness of sophisticated techniques and risk and inflation analyzing in evaluation of long term projects in Tehran Stock Exchange in 2006. To collect data for this research we designed a reliable and valid questionnaire. The result indicate that the managers of the companies in Tehran Stock Exchange are using the following techniques: net present value, profitability index, internal rate of return, and accounting rate of return in order to evaluate the long term projects. Also the results showed that in view of the above managers techniques based on inflation such as the method based on real value of cash flow have the most effectiveness in decision making for investment. Other results showed that the most important obstacles of using sophisticated capital budgeting techniques are not employing scientific and practical word force; and insufficient indexes and variants in the country to implement required calculations

The Short Effects of Two Spinal Stabilization Exercise on Balance Tests and Limit of Stability in Men with Non–Specific Chronic Low Back Pain: Randomized Clinical Trial Study

Objective: This study investigated the short-term effects of two stability exercises, including Abdominal Hollowing and Abdominal bracing on stabilization parameters of Biodex Stability System in male subjects with non-specific recurrent low back pain. Materials & Methods: This Randomized Clinical Trial and case–control study was performed on 30 male subjects with non-specific recurrent low back pain by sample of convenience and randomly allocated into 3 control group( 10 subject) and 2 experimental group (10 subject). Dynamic balance stability indices (Overall, Anterior–Posterior and Medial–Lateral) and Limit of Stability were measured by using Biodex Stability System before and immediately after exercise. Results: Our finding showed that all indices except with Medial–Lateral were increased significantly in experimental group in comparison with control. In Abdominal Bracing group, both level of stability of 8 and 3, showed a significant reduction (P<0.05). The limit of Stability in both experimental groups with abdominal Hallowing (P=0.001) and Abdominal Bracing (P=0.01) increased significantly. Conclusion: The findings revealed that one session training enhances balance status, due to muscle activity improvement

Performance of a Flow-Through Enzyme Reactor Prepared from a Silica Monolith and an α-Poly(D-Lysine)-Enzyme Conjugate

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is covalently bound in aqueous solution to polycationic α-poly(D-lysine) chains of ≈1000 repeating units length, PDL, via a bis-aryl hydrazone bond (BAH). Under the experimental conditions used, about 15 HRP molecules are bound along the PDL chain. The purified PDL-BAH-HRP conjugate is very stable when stored at micromolar HRP concentration in a pH 7.2 phosphate buffer solution at 4 °C. When a defined volume of such a conjugate solution of desired HRP concentration (i.e., HRP activity) is added to a macro- and mesoporous silica monolith with pore sizes of 20–30 µm as well as below 30 nm, quantitative and stable noncovalent conjugate immobilization is achieved. The HRP-containing monolith can be used as flow-through enzyme reactor for bioanalytical applications at neutral or slightly alkaline pH, as demonstrated for the determination of hydrogen peroxide in diluted honey. The conjugate can be detached from the monolith by simple enzyme reactor washing with an aqueous solution of pH 5.0, enabling reloading with fresh conjugate solution at pH 7.2. Compared to previously investigated polycationic dendronized polymer-enzyme conjugates with approximately the same average polymer chain length, the PDL-BAH-HRP conjugate appears to be equally suitable for HRP immobilization on silica surfaces.ISSN:1616-5187ISSN:1616-519

A two-enzyme cascade reaction consisting of two reaction pathways. Studies in bulk solution for understanding the performance of a flow-through device with immobilised enzymes

Enzyme-catalysed cascade reactions in flow-through systems with immobilised enzymes currently are of great interest for exploring their potential for biosynthetic and bioanalytical applications. Basic studies in this field often aim at understanding the stability of the immobilised enzymes and their catalytic performance, for example, in terms of yield of a desired reaction product, analyte detection limit, enzyme stability or reaction reproducibility. In the work presented, a cascade reaction involving the two enzymes bovine carbonic anhydrase (BCA) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) – with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as HRP “activator” – was first investigated in great detail in bulk solution at pH = 7.2. The reaction studied is the hydrolysis and oxidation of 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH2-DA) to 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein (DCF), which was found to proceed along two reaction pathways. This two-enzyme cascade reaction was then applied for analysing the performance of BCA and HRP immobilised in glass fiber filters which were placed inside a filter holder device through which a DCFH2-DA/H2O2 substrate solution was pumped. Comparison was made between (i) co-immobilised and (ii) sequentially immobilised enzymes (BCA first, HRP second). Significant differences for the two arrangements in terms of measured product yield (DCF) could be explained based on quantitative UV/vis absorption measurements carried out in bulk solution. We found that the lower DCF yield observed for sequentially immobilised enzymes originates from a change in one of the two possible reaction pathways due to enzyme separation, which was not the case for enzymes that were co-immobilised (or simultaneously present in the bulk solution experiments). The higher DCF yield observed for co-immobilised enzymes did not originate from a molecular proximity effect (no increased oxidation compared to sequential immobilisation)