Image processing and analysis methods in quantitative endothelial cell biology

This thesis details the development of computerised image processing and analysis pipelines for quantitative evaluation of microscope image data acquired in endothelial vascular biology experimentation. The overarching objective of this work was to advance our understanding of the cell biology of cardiovascular processes; principally involving haemostasis, thrombosis, and inflammation. Bioinformatics techniques are increasingly necessary to extract and evaluate information from biological experimentation. In cell biology advances in microscopy and the increased acquisition of large scale digital image data sets have created a need for automated image processing and data analysis. The development, testing, and evaluation of three computerised workflows for analysis of microscopy images investigating cardiovascular cell biology are described here. The first image analysis pipeline extracts morphometric features from high-throughput experiments imaging endothelial cells and organelles. Segmentation of endothelial cells and their organelles followed by extraction of morphometric features provides a rich quantitative data set to investigate haemostatic mechanisms. A second image processing workflow was applied to platelet images obtained from super-resolution microscopy, and used in a proof-of-principle study of a new platelet dense-granule deficiency diagnostic method. The method was able to efficiently differentiate between healthy volunteers and three patients with Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome. This was achieved by segmenting and counting the number of CD63-positive structures per platelet, allowing for the differentiation of patients from control volunteers with 99\% confidence. The final workflow described is a video analysis method that quantifies interactions of leukocytes with an endothelial monolayer. Phase contrast microscopy videos were analysed with a Haar-like features object detection and custom tracking method to quantify the dynamic interaction of rolling leukocytes. This technique provides much more information than a manual evaluation and was found to give a tracking accuracy of 92\%. These three methodologies provide a toolkit to further biological understanding of multiple facets of cardiovascular behaviour

Humanitarian Propensity and its Representations in the Global Theatrical Text

تناولت الباحثة في هذا البحث النزعة الإنسانية في النصوص المسرحية التي ظهرت في منعطفات مهمة من مسيرة النص المسرحي العالمي بدءاً بعصر النهضة الذي ظهر مصطلح الإنسانية فيه والذي بلغ أوجه في القرن السادس عشر، مروراً بالقرن السابع عشر، والقرن الثامن عشر (عصر التنوير)، وصولاً إلى القرن التاسع عشر، وانتهاءً بالقرن العشرين الذي شهد حربين عالميتين جلبتا الخراب للإنسانية. نتائج البحث: الإنسانية تحترم تعدد الثقافات والديانات، واختلاف اللغات واللون والجنسيات. النص المسرحي خطاب إنساني يتكلم باسم كل إنسان في العالم. المؤلفون المسرحيون مؤمنون بالقضايا الاجتماعية وبحرية الإنسان، وهدفهم موجه نحو الإنسان أينما كان. النص المسرحي بات معبّراً عن مأساة الإنسان المعاصر في القرن العشرين، إنسان الخوف والجوع والقلق والاستسلام، إنسان الفراغ والألم والضياع. الإنسان أهم شيء في الوجود، ويشكل الانفتاح على الآخر جوهر الإنسانية.  This study examines Humanitarian Propensity and its Representations in the Global Theatrical Text that appeared in important temporal junctures beginning with the Renaissance in which the period of humanity appeared and which reached its peak in the sixteenth century, through the seventeenth century, and the eighteenth century (The Age of Enlightenment) And, up to the nineteenth century، and elegant of the twentieth century, which witnessed two world wars brought ruin to humanity. research results: Humanity respects the multiplicity of cultures and religions, the difference of languages, color and nationalities. The theatrical text is a human speech that speaks in the name of every person in the world. Dramatic writers believe in social issues and human freedom, and their goal is directed towards man، wherever he is. The theatrical text became an expression of the tragedy of modern man in the twentieth century, a person of fear, hunger, anxiety and surrender، a man of emptiness, pain and loss. Man is the most important thing in existence, and openness to the other is the essence of humanity. &nbsp

The Arabic Theatrical Text in the Sixties

تتناول الدراسة النصوص المسرحية التي عبّر بعض المؤلفين المسرحيين من خلالها عن واقع الأمة العربية المرير اللاإنساني عبر نصوصهم المسرحية دلالة على احتجاجهم وتمردهم ورفضهم للواقع اللاإنساني الذي تعيشه الأمة العربية في حقبة الستينيات التي شهدت أحداثاً وتحولات اجتماعية وسياسية، ساعدت على تعزيز الاتجاه القومي بعد ان بلغ ذروته في تلك الحقبة، وكانت نكسة حزيران (1967) أكثر تلك الأحداث دفعاً لهذا الاتجاه في الإبداع الشعري والنثري والفني والمسرحي. يتألف الإطار النظري من مبحثين, تناول المبحث الأول تأثير نكسة حزيران على المسرح العربي, أما المبحث الثاني فتطرق إلى سوسيولوجيا المسرح العربي. وتضمن الإجراءات مجتمع البحث البالغ عدده (13) نص مسرحي عربي للمؤلف المسرحي السوري (سعد الله ونوس) للمدة الزمنية (1961 – 1969) وتحليل العينة المتجسدة بالنص المسرحي (الفيل يا ملك الزمان) عام (1969). ومن أهم نتائج البحث (1) المسرح العربي في عقد الستينيات بات معبّراً عن مأساة الإنسان المعاصر في القرن العشرين, إنسان الخوف والجوع والقلق والاستسلام, إنسان الفراغ والألم والضياع (2) يعبّر المؤلف المسرحي العربي عن هموم شعبه ومعاناتهم فهو يتحدث باسم الشعب بصدق, ويوثق معاناة الشعوب العربية عامة وليس معاناة شعب بعينه و(3) عقد الستينيات هو مرحلة التأسيس على كافة المستويات.The study deals with the theatrical texts through which some playwrights expressed the bitter and inhuman reality of the Arab nation through their theatrical texts indicating their protest, rebellion and rejection of the inhuman reality that the Arab nation is experiencing in the sixties, which witnessed social and political events and transformations that helped to strengthen the national trend after it reached its climax. In that period, the setback of June (1967) was the most push for this trend in poetic, prose, artistic and theatrical creativity. The theoretical framework consists of two topics. The first one deals with the impact of the June setback on the Arab theater, and the second one deals with the sociology of Arab theater. The procedures included the research community of (13) an Arab theatrical text by the Syrian playwright (Saadallah Wanous) for the period of time (1961-1969) and the analysis of the sample embodied in the theatrical text (The Elephant, King of Time) in (1969). Among the most important results of the research (1) The Arab theater in the 1960s has become an expression of the tragedy of the contemporary man in the twentieth century, a man of fear, hunger, anxiety and surrender, a man of emptiness, pain and loss (2) The Arab playwright expresses the concerns of his people and their suffering, as he speaks in the name of the people honestly, and documents The suffering of the Arab peoples in general, not the suffering of a specific people, and (3) the 1960s is the foundation stage at all levels

What Is the Origin of Livestock-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Clonal Complex 398 Isolates from Humans without Livestock Contact? An Epidemiological and Genetic Analysis.

Fifteen percent of all methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clonal complex 398 (CC398) human carriers detected in The Netherlands had not been in direct contact with pigs or veal calves. To ensure low MRSA prevalence, it is important to investigate the likely origin of this MRSA of unknown origin (MUO). Recently, it was shown that CC398 strains originating from humans and animals differ in the presence of specific mobile genetic elements (MGEs). We hypothesized that determining these specific MGEs in MUO isolates and comparing them with a set of CC398 isolates of various known origin might provide clues to their origin. MUO CC398 isolates were compared to MRSA CC398 isolates obtained from humans with known risk factors, a MRSA CC398 outbreak isolate, livestock associated (LA) MRSA CC398 isolates from pigs, horses, chickens, and veal calves, and five methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) CC398 isolates of known human origin. All strains were spa typed, and the presence or absence of, scn, chp, φ3 int, φ6 int, φ7 int, rep7, rep27, and cadDX was determined by PCRs. The MRSA CC398 in humans, MUO, or MRSA of known origin (MKO) resembled MRSA CC398 as found in pigs and not MSSA CC398 as found in humans. The distinct human MSSA CC398 spa type, t571, was not present among our MRSA CC398 strains; MRSA CC398 was tetracycline resistant and carried no φ3 bacteriophage with scn and chp. We showed by simple PCR means that human MUO CC398 carriers carried MRSA from livestock origin, suggestive of indirect transmission. Although the exact transmission route remains unknown, direct human-to-human transmission remains a possibility as well

Expression and prognostic value of circulating angiogenic cytokines in pancreatic cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The utility of circulating angiogenic cytokines (CAC) as biomarkers in pancreatic cancer has not been clarified yet. We investigated the expression and prognostic associations of seven CAC in patients with pancreatic cancer.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Serum samples were collected preoperatively in patients undergoing surgery for localized pancreatic cancer (n = 74), metastatic pancreatic cancer (n = 24) or chronic pancreatitis (n = 20) and in healthy controls (n = 48). Quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and multiplex protein arrays were used to determine circulating levels of VEGF, VEGFR-1, PlGF, PDGF-AA, PDGF-BB, Ang-1 and EGF. Multivariate analyses on cancer-specific survival were performed with a Cox proportional hazards model.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>VEGF (p < 0.0001), PDGF-AA (p < 0.0001), Ang-1 (p = 0.002) and EGF (p < 0.0001) were differentially expressed in patients with pancreatic cancer compared to healthy controls. The presence of lymph node metastases was associated with increased levels of all CAC except for PlGF, whereas there were only minor associations of CAC with other clinicopathologic variables. The multivariate model including the entire angiogenic panel revealed high levels of circulating PDGF-AA (hazard ratio 4.58; 95% confidence interval 1.43 - 14.69) as predictor of poor cancer-specific survival, whereas high levels of PDGF-BB (0.15; 0.15 - 0.88), Ang-1 (0.30; 0.10 - 0.93) and VEGF (0.24; 0.09 - 0.57) were associated with a favorable prognosis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Circulating levels of certain angiogenic cytokines correlate with patients' prognosis after resection for pancreatic cancer, if a panel of several CAC is considered simultaneously. These data should be considered in future studies evaluating angiogenic factors as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in patients with pancreatic cancer.</p

Development of appropriate investment models for multimodal transport terminals in Sri Lanka

Though Multimodal Transport Terminal is a novel infrastructure development experience to Sri Lanka; the concept of “Multimodal Transport” is not. Nowadays the concept has become much popular than ever since it has been playing major role in international and local transportation in both passenger and cargo movements. The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) have taken necessary measures to introduce Multimodal Transport Terminals (MTTs) to the country’s transport family as it has been identified as a major solution to streamline the infected transport systems in the country. But no scientific research has been conducted yet to identify the best fit Ownership, Facility Management and Terminal operation models for the introducing MTTs in Sri Lanka. This is the gap that has been bridged by this research project. The project consists of three main objectives; 1) To identify the existing ownership, facility management and terminal operation models that are successfully practiced in transport terminals in the global context. 2) To examine the existing ownership, facility management and terminal operation models that are successfully practiced in different disciplines (including transportation) in Sri Lankan context. 3) To develop the best fit ownership, facility management and terminal operation models for multimodal transport terminals in Sri Lanka. The identification of existing ownership, facility management and terminal operation models that are successfully practiced in transport terminals in global context have been done covering all three main transport modes; maritime, aviation and land transportation and several scenarios are discussed with the different institutional structures applied including their successes and failures. Different models were introduced representing most of the components in Public Private Partnership (PPP) spectrum. Thus it has been concluded that most of the global scenarios with mega investments that have followed PPP frameworks have become successful. Further the PPP model provides the enough freedom for the private partners to improve their efficiencies and public sector influence vi helps to keep them on the correct track until it reaches the expected socio economical outcomes and the partnership always pushes the project to reach its maximum outcomes. The examination of the existing ownership, facility management and terminal operation models that are practiced in different disciplines (including transportation) in Sri Lankan context have been carried out by analyzing the scenarios across all three sectors maritime, aviation and land transportation and non-transportation disciplines. It has been concluded at the end of the analysis that there are several government owned and partially government owned models that are already practiced in Sri Lanka even without properly established direct legal support from the legislature. The government’s intention on future infrastructure projects is to invest with partially government owned structures with the participation of private partners as it allows them to concentrate more on social oriented projects where in others parties are not interested. PPP initiatives are not novel to the country; but they have been developed case by case as fulfill the requirements of the partners at that particular point. Unlike other countries with well-established PPP frameworks; Sri Lanka lacks common PPP framework adopted by government which is crucial for infrastructure development projects that bears a commercial value and to attract potential private partners. Having analyzed all the scenarios from global and local contexts mentioned in the first two objectives the solutions for the main research problem have been developed based on two structural formations. I. Public Models II. PPP Models Seven optional models have been introduced at the end of the analysis including four public models (GGG, GGP, GPG, GPP) and three PPP models ([G+P]PG, ([G+P] PP, ([PPP]+G) that can be applied successfully with in Sri Lanka. It has been highlighted that the current socio political environment of the country is yet not mature enough to bear the weight of some of the models introduced. Further, having considered the existing environment of the country; an especial implementation process for the proposed models has been introduced and it is suggested to initiate the application of the proposed models with “Public Models” (like GGP or GPP) and evaluate the progress of them and then move towards the “PPP Models” which have been concluded as the best fit sustainable models for MTTs in Sri Lanka. If it is the “PPP Models” that are most sustainable to the country; a well-established PPP framework is a must for the success of the MTT projects. This research has formulated “Final Draft of the PPP framework for MTTs in Sri Lanka”. And it is recommended as a future research opportunity which is a necessity before implementation the best fit models. (Key Words: Multimodal Transport, Ownership Models, Facility Management, Terminal Operations, Public Private Partnership, Framework

Comparative study on simply supported pre-stressed box girders and double T beams for Two lane highway bridges

A Thesis submited to the Departmenrt of Civil Engineering for the Degree of Master of Structural Engineering DesignABSTRACT There are about 3800 bridges on National Road Network with length varying from 3.0 m to 300.0m.These bridges have varying widths about 3.0m to 20.0m and some of these have been constructed more than 50 to 100 years back. Most of the bridges span 30m and above. They were constructed using steel concrete composite or steel. Steel is a very costly material, even though it has some very good structural advantages./ Few bridges have been constructed in the recent past using T,M,Y,I beams in the span around 30m by launching side by side. And this was a very tedious procedure. Aesthetic view of a bridge has been neglected during the past 50 years or more due to the design complexity. Time for completion of a bridge has become an uphill task these days due to the price fluctuation and other constrains such as traffic and utility services./ This study is concentrated on the design of a simply supported 30m pre-stressed post tensioned box girder and comparing the properties and other advantages mainly with the Double T beams. Mainly the geometry of the box girder was selected with the help of past research papers and the geometry of the double T beam was selected where the cross sectional area is approximately equal to the cross sectional area of the box girder. Design of the box girder is done using three dimensional finite element method and the spine beam method. Although the Finite Element method is very versatile and powerful manual, calculations is also done as box girders designs are very rare. As the history of the double T beams arc also very rare, it is also designed using SAP 2000, spine beam, and three dimensional Finite Element methods./ Both beams are analyzed for HA,HB moving loads. Load combinations are considered, dead plus HA live load as load combination 2 and dead plus HB as load combination 3 Shear force, bending moment, tortional moment, support reactions, stresses, amount of tendons were compared. In spite of that, the launching method, capability for utility services were also compared. Conclusions and the recommendations of the study will be laid down based on the results in the stud