Advanced optical microscopy methods for in vivo imaging of sub-cellular structures in thick biological tissues

Optical microscopy has become an indispensable tool for visualizing sub-cellular structures and biological processes. However, scattering in biological tissues is a major obstacle that prevents high-resolution images from being obtained from deep regions of tissue. We review common techniques, such as multiphoton microscopy (MPM) and optical coherence microscopy (OCM), for diffraction limited imaging beyond an imaging depth of 0.5 mm. Novel implementations have been emerging in recent years giving higher imaging speed, deeper penetration, and better image quality. Focal modulation microscopy (FMM) is a novel method that combines confocal spatial filtering with focal modulation to reject out-of-focus background. FMM has demonstrated an imaging depth comparable to those of MPM and OCM, near-real-time image acquisition, and the capability for multiple contrast mechanisms

Screening of liver protective effect of ethanolic leaf extract of Callicarpa lanata (EECL) in ethanol induced hepatotoxicity in wister rats

Background: The ethanolic extract of Callicarpa lanata (EECL), belonging to the family Verbenaceae, were studied for hepatoprotective activity in Wister rats with liver damage induced by ethanol.Methods: Ethanol treated rats showed significant increase in the levels of serum enzyme activities, total bilirubin and reduction in total proteins reflecting the liver injury caused by ethanol. EECL, at a dose of 400 and 200mg/kg body weight exhibited hepatoprotective effect by lowering the Serum Glutamate Pyruvate Transaminase (SGPT), Serum Glutamate Oxaloacetate Transaminase (SGOT), Serum Alkaline Phosphate (SALP), Gama Glutamyl Transpeptidase (GGTP), total Bilirubin to a significant extent and also significantly increased the levels of total protein in a dose dependent manner.Results: The results were highly significant at dose level of 400mg/kg body weight (p <0.01) and significant at dose level of 200mg/kg body weight (p <0.05). The effects of EECL at both levels were comparable with standard drug silymarin. The hepatoprotective activity was also supported by histopathological studies of liver tissue.Conclusions: In-vivo hepatoprotective activity of ethanolic leaf extract of Callicarpa lanata (EECL) against Ethanol induced acute liver injury in rats showed significant results in a dose dependent manner

Sistema para gestão da migração de dados de sistemas legados para a plataforma MS Dynamics NAV

Estágio realizado na Favvus-MSTese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Informática e Computação. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 200

A Bibliometric Analysis of Research Productivity on Diabetes Modeling and Artificial Pancreas 2001 to 2020

The prevalence of diabetes apparently increases all over the world. Thus, significant research works have been carried out in all aspects of the disease to control and mitigate its effects. Many researchers looked to the disease as a biomedical control engineering problem where the main task is identifying the model that can be used to mimic the healthy person\u27s metabolism and therefore relieving the lives of millions of diabetics. This work aims to explore the dynamics of the produced scientific research in the area of diabetes modeling and control from a bibliometric method. In this work, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of published research is carried out to give a guide to scientists in the field to explore research productivity and highlight the trends and tendencies besides showing the gaps for future research. The data were extracted from Scopus, a largest indexing and abstracting database of scientific literature. The analysis showed the field\u27s leading countries, institutes, journals, articles, authorships, keywords, collaboration research networks, leading scholars, and a three-factor analysis of leading countries, institutions, and keywords

Open Access Publishing Trends in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (1980-2020)

The purpose of this bibliometric study was to examine the status of Open Access (OA) scholarly productivity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) from 1980 to 2020. To meet the objectives of the study, a bibliometric method was used and data on KSA publications were retrieved from InCites tool of Clarivate Analytics. The study revealed that KSA is positioned at the 41st place in open access publications in the world and has the highest percentage of OA publications among the countries of the world. The last ten years found a momentous increase in OA publications in KSA. The citation graph of OA publications has also increased and highest citations were recorded in the year 2015. The King Saud University was on the top in publishing OA publications but the most cited works were observed by the authors affiliated with King Abdulaziz University. The impact factor of the top 15 OA journals of KSA ranged from 0.59 - 4.76. The highest collaborated country was the USA in the OA research works of Saudi researchers. The county achieved better OA publications in the subject of clinical medicine, however, a small number of OA publications were found in the subject of economics, and business. This study recommended that the KSA government should take steps to further promote OA publications and raise funds to support this model. Similarly, all KSA academic and funding institutions should make policies to acknowledge and promote OA publications

The role of computed tomography for identifying mechanical bowel obstruction in a Pakistani population

Objective: To retrospectively review our experience of CT scan in cases with a final diagnosis of surgically confirmed mechanical bowel obstruction. Methods: It is a retrospective analytical study, done from 2003 to 2008. All adult patients having undergone laparotomy in addition to a preoperative abdominal CT scan over a 5 year period were identified through the medical records and their case notes reviewed. Taking surgery to be the gold standard for diagnosing mechanical bowel obstruction, we compared results of the CT with operative findings to determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of CT scans. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Results: A total of 271 patient records were reviewed. The mean age was 46 +/- 19 years and (64%) were men. Mechanical intestinal obstruction was found in 104 patients on laparotomy and CT scan had diagnosed 97 of these. The sensitivity and specificity was 93% respectively. CT scanning correctly identified the cause of the obstruction in 72 (74%) cases. The common reasons for bowel obstruction identified by surgery were adhesions 29 (40%), neoplasm 12 (17 %) and hernias 7 (10%). Conclusion: CT scans are reliable at diagnosing intestinal obstruction with a high sensitivity and specificity but they are not as accurate at defining the etiology of the obstruction

Comparative study to access coagulation abnormalities in breast cancer

Background: Coagulation abnormalities such as thrombosis and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) are the major factors that play a major role in breast cancer. In this study, coagulation abnormalities were assessed in breast cancer patients to help the clinician in early detection of DIC and management of patients at different stages of breast cancer.Methods: 75 patients were enrolled in the study, 50 were from case group (breast cancer patients) and 25 were selected as control group subjects used to compare the results. All of these subjects undergone, General Hematological analysis i.e. differential leukocyte count hemoglobin, platelets count and total leukocyte count were performed on each of the samples collected from the subjects and Specific Hematological analysis i.e. Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT), Fibrinogen Assay, Prothrombin Time (PT), D-Dimer Detection and Fibrin Degradation Products (FDPs).Results: PT was found to be comparable in patients with breast cancer when compared with controls. Difference between control group (II) and subjects with breast cancer (I) was non-significant, fibrinogen level was found to be significantly increased (p < 0.01) in patients with different stages of breast cancer when compared with controls. FDPs were found to be significantly increased (p< 0.01) in patients of breast cancer when compared with control group. These increased levels of FDPs may be due to enhanced fibrinolysis. D-Dimers were also found to be significantly increased (p < 0.01) in patients with breast cancer when compared with controls.Conclusion: Patients with breast cancer were associated with compensated DIC state including normal PT and APTT level but increased fibrinogen and platelets count as compared to the controls. Detection of D-Dimers offers a differential analysis over other laboratory tests for DIC

Five decades of the International Endodontic Journal: bibliometric overview 1967–2020

Aim The International Endodontic Journal (IEJ) has served as a platform for research and clinical practice in Endodontics since 1967. This study provides a bibliographic analysis and overview of the publications that have appeared in the IEJ from 1967 to 2020. Methodology A literature search was performed in Elsevier's Scopus database to locate all the publications of the International Endodontic Journal. Various bibliometric software packages including the open-source visualization software Gephi and Biblioshiny (version 2.0) were employed for data visualization and analysis. Results A total of 3739 records with citation and bibliographic details were selected and retrieved to allow a bibliometric analysis to be performed. The bibliometric analysis indicates that the IEJ has grown both in terms of productivity and influence. Over time, the journal has been associated with an increase in the number of manuscripts published and the citations they have attracted, but with minor downward fluctuations in citations in the last few years. Bibliographic coupling of the IEJ articles revealed that the major research themes published in the journal include ‘endodontics’, ‘root canal treatment’, ‘calcium hydroxide’, ‘apical periodontitis’, ‘mineral trioxide aggregate’, ‘microbiology’, ‘cyclic fatigue’, ‘cone-beam computed tomography’ and ‘micro-computed tomography’. Authors affiliated to institutions in the UK were the major contributors to the journal and were linked with other countries such as Brazil, USA and Malaysia. The largest number of publications were from the University of São Paulo, Brazil. Conclusion The IEJ is one of the leading journals in Endodontology and has been providing a platform for innovative research and clinical reports for more than 50 years. Publications have been associated with a wide range of authors, institutions and countries around the world