Contrast-enhanced micro-computed tomography and image processing integrated approach for microstructural analysis of biological soft fibrous tissues

Nel sistema muscolo-scheletrico, tendini e legamenti svolgono un ruolo importante al fine di garantire mobilità e stabilità. Questi tessuti sono composti principalmente da collagene e presentano una struttura altamente fibrosa. Evidenziare i componenti della microstruttura di legamenti e tendini in immagini tridimensionali (3D) è di fondamentale importanza per estrarre informazioni significative che posso anvere ripercussioni sulla scienza di base e sulle applicazioni ortopediche. In particolare, le proprietà meccaniche delle microstrutture fibrose sono fortemente influenzate da alcune caratteristiche geometriche, come la volume fraction, l’orientamento e il diametro; tuttavia, determinare l'orientamento e il diametro della fibra 3D è impegnativo. In questa prospettiva, questa tesi mirava ad unire tomografia microcomputerizzata (microCT) ed elaborazione delle immagini in un approccio integrato al fine di identificare e migliorare le informazioni microstrutturali sui tessuti biologici fibrosi, includendo i dati di volume e orientamento. La procedura complessiva è stata applicata per la prima volta su campioni di tendine del ginocchio umano e su legamento collaterale bovino. In una prima fase, sono state testate preparazioni specifiche del campione, inclusa una disidratazione chimica o soluzioni di acido fosfotungstico (PTA) al 2 % in acqua (H2O) o in soluzione di etanolo al 70% (EtOH), così da migliorare il contrasto dell'immagine di questi specifici tessuti. Inoltre, utilizzando i dati scansionati, è stata sviluppata una nuova tecnica di elaborazione delle immagini basata sul filtro 3D hessiano multiscala per evidenziare le strutture fibrose ed ottenere informazioni quantitative sulle fibre. È interessante notare che, per qualsiasi strategia di preparazione del campione di tendini/legamenti, l'approccio proposto è risultato adeguato per rilevare e caratterizzare le proprietà del fascicolo. I risultati del test hanno mostrato che la disposizione delle fibre è fortemente allineata lungo la direzione longitudinale principale nel tendine del tendine, più delle fibre del legamento collaterale bovino. Inoltre, questa tecnica è stata ulteriormente applicata al fine di determinare come il Legamento Crociato Anteriore (LCA) umano risponda a carichi uniassiali rispetto a valori crescenti di deformazione, considerando sia un tessuto sano che uno in condizioni patologiche, cioè acquisito da un paziente con l'artrosi. Anche in questi casi, l'approccio integrato si è rivelato valido ed affidabile nell'individuare orientamento e dimensione dei fascicoli presenti e, quindi, attraverso un modello meccanico strutturale - basato su specifiche leggi costitutive - nello stimare il modulo elastico di questi tessuti. Sono state infatti stimate le curve sforzo-deformazione, ottenendo un valore di modulo elastico di 60.8 MPa e 7.7 MPa rispettivamente per il LCA sano e patologico. In conclusione, è stato progettato e validato in via preliminare un nuovo protocollo microCT per il miglioramento del contrasto dedicato all'analisi microstrutturale dei tessuti molli biologici con caratteristiche fibrose. In una peculiare applicazione al LCA, le informazioni ottenute con il protocollo sono state utilizzate per implementare un modello meccanico dei tessuti fibrosi, stimando così il comportamento biomeccanico dei tessuti sani e patologici.ABSTRACT In the musculoskeletal system, tendons and ligaments play an important role in ensuring mobility and stability. These tissues are primarily composed of collagen and present a highly fibrous structure. Highlighting the microstructure components of ligaments and tendons in three-dimensional (3D) images is crucial for extracting meaningful information impacting basic science and orthopaedic applications. In particular, the mechanical properties of the fibrous microstructures are strongly influenced by their volume fraction, orientation, and diameter. However, determining the 3D fibre orientation and diameter is challenging. In this picture, this thesis aimed at integrating microcomputed tomography (microCT) and image processing approach to identify and enhance microstructural information about biological soft fibrous tissues, including volume and orientation. The overall procedure was first applied on human hamstring tendon and bovine collateral ligament samples. In a first phase specific sample preparations – including either a chemical dehydration, or by 2% of phosphotungstic acid (PTA) in water (H2O) or in 70% ethanol (EtOH) solution – were tested to enhance image contrast of these specific soft tissues. Further, using the scanned data, a novel image processing technique based on 3D Hessian multiscale filter for highlighting fibrous structures was developed to obtain quantitative fibre information. Interestingly, for any strategy of tendon/ligament sample preparation, the proposed approach was adequate for detecting and characterizing fascicle features. The test results showed the fibre arrangement strongly aligned along the main longitudinal direction in the human hamstring tendon more than fibres on the bovine collateral ligament. Moreover, this technique was further applied in order to determine how the human Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) responds to uniaxial loads with respect to increasing values of strain, considering both a healthy tissue and a one under pathological conditions, i.e., acquired from a patient with osteoarthritis. Also in these cases, the integrated approach was valuable and reliable in identifying orientation and size of present fascicles and, thus, through a structural mechanical model - based on specific constitutive law - to estimate the elastic modulus of these tissues. In fact, stress-strain curves were estimated, obtaining a value of elastic modulus of 60.8 MPa and 7.7 MPa for the healthy and pathological ACLs, respectively. In conclusion, a novel contrast enhancement microCT protocol was designed and preliminarily validated for the microstructural analysis of biological soft fibrous tissues. In a peculiar application to ACL, the information obtained with the protocol was used to implement a mechanical model of fibrous tissues, thus estimating the biomechanical behaviour of the healthy and pathological tissues

Decomposing Total Factor Productivity Change of Cotton Cultivars (Barakat-90 and Barac (67)B) in the Gezira Scheme (1991 – 2007) Sudan

The main objective of this paper was to decompose Total Factor Productivity Change (TFPCH) of cotton cultivars Barakat-90 and Barac(67)B in the Gezira scheme in 1991-2007, based on Data Envelopment Analysis Program (DEAP) Software Version 2.1, using model of input–oriented Malmquist indices Total Factor Productivity (TFP). This model could give meaningful results regarding technological and economic behavior relationship over time using balance panel data on Barac(67)B and Barakat-90 cultivars, Relevant secondary data were collected and analyzed to meet the stated objectives. This paper was aimed to decompose TFPCH into two components Technological Change (TECH) and Technical Efficiency Change (EFCH) and the latter was further divided into Scale Efficiency Change (SEFCH) and Pure Efficiency Change (PEFCH). The methodology allowed the recovery of various efficiency and productivity measures. The paper was mainly to answer the questions related to technical efficiency, scale efficiency and productivity changes. In the study on cotton cultivars, the innovation was improving up and down of TECH over time. Scale inefficiency was the main problem in efficiency analysis and mainly due to production operating at increasing returns to scale in Barac(67)B and Barakat-90 operating at constant return to scale. TFPCH was -1.3%, the contribution of EFCH was -1.6% and TECH was 0.30%, the main problem was efficiency change and this was mainly due to scale inefficiency, Barac(67)B contributed to this negative at an average annual rate -3.3%. This implying that the Barac(67)B was ailing due to efficiency change. The study has recommended, substantial improvement in knowledge about productivity and efficiency using scientific approaches, the scheme administration should take full advantage of Barac(67)B cultivar to be extensively grown, Barakat-90 requires further investigation benefiting from technological innovation, additional, improvement in agricultural processing to increase the value added, and the benefit of scientific breakthrough in agricultural science are also recommended.Crop Production/Industries,

Cultural and biochemical characterization, serotyping and pathogenicity of Campylobacter fetus subspecies jejuni/Campylobacter coli of human and animal origin

Cultural and biochemical characteristics of Campylobacter fetus ssp. jejuni/Campylobacter coli strains of human and animal origin were studied and compared to those of reference C. fetus ssp. fetus, C. fetus ssp. intestinalis and C. fetus ssp. jejuni. Colony type and cellular morphology were determined by light and electron microscopy. Growth and biochemical responses to 21 separate tests were measured. Discrete and swarming colony types were encountered. Young culture cells were comma-shaped, S-shaped and spiral. In cultures over 72 h old, coccoid cells constituted the majority. With the available biochemical tests, strains of C. fetus ssp. jejuni/C. coli were distinctly different than other subspecies of C. fetus. They were also tentatively separated into 2 distinct groups and a third group with intermediate characteristics. Each group was further subdivided into subgroups. This study indicates that C. fetus ssp. jejuni and C. coli are very closely related and the tests employed in this study are not sufficient to separate them into 2 distinct species;Sixty-one test strains of C. fetus ssp. jejuni/C. coli of human and animal origin were subjected to serotyping by the passive hemagglutination technique. Rabbit antisera against live whole-cell antigens from Penner\u27s reference serotype strains were titrated with sheep red blood cells sensitized with steamed antigens of the test strains. Forty-five of the test strains were found to be typeable by antisera against 17 of the Penner serotype strains. Among the typeable strains, certain serotypes (T8, T2, T1) were more common than others. This study shows that 79% of C. fetus ssp. jejuni/C. coli strains studied share common antigens with the Penner serotype strains of C. fetus ssp. jejuni;The pathogenicity of C. fetus ssp. jejuni and C. coli for the pregnant guinea pig was investigated in intraperitoneally inoculated pregnant guinea pigs. Abortion and cultural reisolation of Campylobacter organisms from uteri and visceral organs of inoculated animals were considered evidence for the pathogenicity of the strains being tested. Abortion rates ranging from 13%-86% were produced by the tested strains with a highest rate of reisolation from uteri of aborting guinea pigs. This study indicates that C. fetus ssp. jejuni and C. coli are abortifacient pathogens in the pregnant guinea pig

Characteristics of Patients with Breast Cancer Attending the Breast Cancer Center in Sudan

Background: Breast cancer is one of major health problems worldwide with increasing prevalence and accounts for comprising 16 percent of all female cancers. Objective of this study is investigated about the characteristics of patients with breast cancer attending the breast cancer center in Sudan to understand reasons for late diagnosis.Methods: Cross sectional descriptive study conducted; 200 women attending at the oncology center of the capital city participated.Results: Breast cancer was more prevalent among the age group of (31-40) with percentage of (39%), the reproductive characteristics of them indicated that (30%) did not have children, while 29% had more than two children, (46.5%) had menarche at age of (<11 year), (67.5%) were at Pre-menopause status, while (32.5%) were at post-menopause (48%)  of earned income  between (0-1000SDG) per month, reflecting the low-socio-economic status of them, as they did not have enough income for proper diagnosis  and  treatment, while the service is not free, concerning body weight, (31%) was overweight (25 -29.9 Kg/ m²), while (4.5%) of them had morbid obesity(≥ 40 Kg/m²).The results also showed that(71%) took vitamin as a supplement.Conclusion: The study concluded that the cost of service and lack of awareness hindered early detection among low socio-economic status patients.          Keywords: Prevalence; Risk factors; Breast cancer      Recommendations: early detection of the breast cancer must be provided for free at all hospitals and oncology centers because this is helping to diagnose breast cancer in its early stages and assist in discovering hidden cases in the country, health education programs should be conducted to improve  awareness towards  importance of early detection

Economic Efficiency of Malaysian Oleochemical Enterprises

This study comprises a rigorous Micro Econometric and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) of the performance of the Malaysian oleochemical enterprises over time. The analysis covers the following sectors: coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil and other oils and fats, as well as twelve out of fifteen working oleochemical enterprises. The micro-economic data were graciously provided by Malaysian National Productivity Corporation (NPC), Malaysian Department of Statistics and some other respected sources: Panel data have been used in this study. The time series data and cross section data have been both pooled together to constitute panel data. Also maximum likelihood estimation has been incorporated for composed error models as well as DEA. Where appropriate, the literature has been updated. This study shows that the major advantage of the systematic application of the two frontier approaches, which are stochastic and deterministic (DEA), with multiple techniques on panel of data containing two levels, enables the comparison of synthesis of the results obtained to provide a comprehensive, detailed and insightful understanding of the producer behaviour. This approach is superior and informative than single eyed approaches. The results from all approaches consistently show that scale inefficiency and allocative inefficiency are the main problems in efficiency analysis. The scale inefficiency is mainly due to production operation at increasing returns to scale. This is noted specially in the coconut oil sector, the palm kernel oil sector and oleochemical enterprises. Allocative inefficiency is mainly due to under-utilisation of inputs relative to capital. Labour was under-utilised relative to capital in palm oil and other fat and oil sector. Allocative inefficiency due to underutilsation of inputs relative to capital is proved in this study. It is in consistent with that found by Seale (1990) in Egyptian Tileries, who claimed that Tileries on average were allocatively inefficient, employing too much capital relative to labour. The estimate of Malaysian oil and fat industry's total factor productivity (TFP) change is -3.705% for the period 1985 to 1996. The major contributor to this negative technological change is the palm oil sector and other oil and fat sector. The palm oil sector's negative contribution is at an average annual rate of 6.818% over the period of this study and other oil and fat sector is at an average annual rate of 5.8] 8%. This implies that the palm oil sector is ailing due to technological regress. It could be concluded that allocative efficiency requires first or second best pricing of final products; scale efficiency requires limitation on sub-optimal entry to the industry; technical efficiency requires cost minimisation by the incumbent firms; and finally product choice and dynamic efficiency require innovation by incumbents and new entrants

Productivity of Desert lambs as effected by Nutrition in North Kordofan State, Sudan

The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the influence of supplementation during mating, late pregnancy and pre-lambing period performance of Desert lambs under an extensive tropical management in North Kordofan State, Sudan. Eighty eight (88) lambs were used in this experiment. The lambs born belong to ewes supplemented with concentrate ration and un-supplemented with concentrate ration. Lambs were divided into four groups A, B, C and D. Group A, B and C were assigned to supplementary feeding treatments 1, 2 and 3 respectively same as rations given to their mothers. Group D as a control (un supplemented with any diet depend on pasture only as practice by farmers). Supplementation (ration 1, 2 and 3) was offered at evening with 150 g / head/day increase to 250g / head /day. &nbsp;The results indicated that supplementation to desert ewes significantly (p &lt; 0.05) effected birth weight where supplemented ewes recorded higher lambs weights as 2.32, 2.11 and 2.02 kg for group A, B and C respectively as compared with group D with 1.80 kg. Group A, B and C were scored significantly (p &lt; 0.05) highest growth rate&nbsp; from birth till 90 days of birth, with best final weight mentioned in group A and B as 11.46±0.19 and 10.70±0.20 kg. Also daily weight gain was exerted significant (p&lt;0.01) effected by supplementation, recorded as 102.62 ± 1.29, 95.35 ± 1.37, 74.44 ± 1.46 and 65.95 ± 1.73 g/day for A, B, C and D groups respectively.The supplementary feeding significantly (p &lt; 0.05) affected lambs weaning weight, high weaning weight in supplemented groups as 11.46, 10.70 and 8.82 kg for A, B and C respectively as compared with low weight in group D as 7.86 kg. The effect of supplementary feeding was exerted significant (p&lt;0.05) effect on pre weaning mortality rate, where supplementary lambs recorded zero mortality and higher survival rate, group D was recorded relatively 6.3% highest mortality rate compared with other group. In conclusion, the amount and type of feed (flushing and steaming-up) provided to pregnant ewe have influences on birth weight of lamb and improved lamb growth rate before weaning and increased daily gain and weaning weight

Cost Efficiency of Malaysian Oleochemical Enterprises: A Non-parametric Frontier Analysis Evidence

The objectives of the paper are two-folds. First the cost efficiency measure was decomposed into technical and allocative efficiency in Malaysian oleochemical industry. This is undertaken with the explicit aim of evaluating the competitiveness of this industry since early 1990s, The data used were an incomplete panel of annual observations on 12 firms, comprising 80% of the operating oleochemical films which operated between 1990-1996. The second objective of this paper is to show that the application of the deterministic Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) frontier model could provide good explanation regarding economic relationships over time. The mean cost-inefficiencies of Malaysian oleochemical enterprises for 7 different years (1996- 1990) tended to increase from 1991 to 1996. The mean cost- inefficiencies increased slowly and slightly up to 1995 when there was a sharp decrease. The major contributor to this inefficiency was allocative inefficiency. &nbsp

Policy challenges and food security in Alqadarif State, Sudan

Food security is under focused issue in Sudan as a whole and AlQadarif State is not apart from that. According to the integrated food security phases classification (IPC) report April (2015), about 60% of the population suffering from food insecurity in the State. This problem needs to be solved by clear and sound policies and strategies.  The main objective of this study is to investigate and evaluate the Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) policies and strategies in the State. To achieve this objective secondary data such as annual reports, policy documents were collected from all key line institutions and primary data were collected by the mean of a questionnaire the main results of this research are that: there were no clear food security and nutrition policy documents for the key line institutions in the State.  Also, there was a gap between the policymakers at the State level and the locality level. 42% of the policymakers at the locality level did not aware of the existence of the FSN body in the State. About 94% of the policymakers in the localities believed that the Chamber of Zakat plays a very important role in helping at FSN situations. About 92% of policymakers in the state said that finance is not sufficient. The majority of the localities policymakers, 94%, do not have any (FSN) database in their localities. Finally, the main recommendation of this study is to build a food security and nutrition policy/strategy putting the conservation of the natural resources in consideration