AUTOMATED ASSESSMENT OF EPIDERMAL THICKNESS AND VASCULAR DENSITY OF PORT WINE STAINS OCT IMAGE

Optical coherence tomography(OCT)enables in vivo imaging of port wine stains(PWS)lesions.The knowledge of vascular struct ure and epidermal thickness(ET)of PWS may aid the objectivediagnosis and optimal treatment.To obtain the structural parameters more rapidly and avoiduser intervention,an automated algorithm of energy map is introduced based on intensity andedge information to extract the skin surface using dynamic programming method.Subsequently,an averaged A-scan analysis is performed to obtain the mean ET and the relative intensity ofdermis indicating the corresponding vascular density.This approach is currently successfullyapplied in clinical diagnosis and shows promising guidance and assessment of PDT treatment.

FLASHLAMP- PUMPED PULSED DYE LASER IN TREATMENT OF PORT- WINE STAINS

To assess the effectiveness of the flashlamp- pumped pulsed dye laser (Photogeneca V, Synosure Corp, Boston, United States) in the treatment of port- wine stains. Methods. One hundred and ninety- four consecutive patients with port- wine stains were treated with a flashlamp- pumped pulsed dye laser in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 1998 to August 1999. Results. Of 194 patients who completed treatment, 56.2％ had more than 60％ fading of the lesion and only 6.7％ had less than 20％ fading. An average of 3.6 treatments were needed to achieve more than 60％ fading. The response was better in children than in adults, although the difference was not significant. Pigmentary change (usually transient) occurred in 3.1％ of patients. Conclusions. This study confirms the efficacy of the flashlamp- pumped pulsed dye laser in the treatment of port- wine stains in children and adults.

Evaluation of Fluorescent Stains for Viability Assessment of the Potato Cyst Nematodes <i>Globodera pallida</i>and <i>G. ellingtonae</i>

Potato cyst nematodes (PCNs), Globodera pallida and Globodera rostochiensis, are quarantine pests of potato which cause significant damage to production and farm gate revenue worldwide. Accurately assessing viability of PCN eggs is important for eradication and management programs. The goal of this study was to develop a quick and reliable fluorescent staining method to evaluate viability of G. pallida and Globodera ellingtonae eggs. The staining efficiency of eight fluorescent stains was evaluated using G. pallida eggs compared with the conventional Meldola’s Blue (MB) staining method. The staining efficiency of the fluorescent stains ranged from 80.33 ± 2.99 (Sytox Green) to 100% (Acridine Orange) for non-viable eggs. Two stains were further evaluated for their efficiency in assessing viability of encysted eggs from five different greenhouse-reared G. pallida cyst sources which contained both viable and non-viable eggs. For the G. pallida cyst sources, viability ofencysted eggs were estimated to be 41.02 ± 3.81 to 62.66% ± 3.12% when stained with Acridine Orange (AO) and 79.52% ± 1.54% viability for G. ellingtonae. Both staining time and stain concentration were significant for staining efficiency of released and encysted eggs. Staining time and concentration were optimized for released eggs at 4 h at 10 μg/ml and for encysted eggs at 16 h at 25 μg/ml respectively for AO. Fluorescent stains accurately and rapidly assessed percent egg viability and were determined to be as sensitive as a seven-day incubation with the Meldola’s Blue staining method.

Diagnostic Performance of glmM Gene and Histological Stains for Detection of Helicobacter pylori in Gastric Biopsy from Patients Admitted to Wad Madani Teaching Hospital, Sudan

Helicobacter pylori is the microbial agent most responsible for gastro-duodenal ulcer and chronic gastritis, which can develop into carcinoma of the stomach. This study was performed in Wad Medani Teaching Hospital, Sudan to detect Helicobacter pylori in stomach samples, and evaluate the performance of the tests used, which were histological stains and PCR. Gastric biopsies were obtained from 105 referred patients during endoscopy, and fixed specimens examined by haematoxylin-eosin and Warthin-Starry silver stains, while DNA was extracted for glmM gene amplification. Epigastric pain was the most common symptom at 78% (82/105) and chronic gastritis recorded with 71% (68/105) of endoscopy results. Warthin-Starry silver stain gave 31% (33/105) as positive for Helicobacter pylori followed by glmM gene 27% (28/105) and haematoxylin-eosin 24% (25/105). The study indicated good performance of histological staining and high specificity of glmM gene in detection of Helicobacter pylori from gastric biopsies.

Application of short-pulsed CO_(2) laser and long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser in the treatment of severe hypertrophic port-wine stains

Background:The treatment of port-wine stains(PWS)becomes extremely difficult due to age-related malformation of the vasculature.In this study,we used alternative methods to treat hypertrophic PWS.Methods:A short-pulsed CO_(2) laser was applied to ablate the hypertrophic vasculature of PWS.The ablation was ended when the wound was on the same plane as normal skin.The long-pulsed neodymium-doped yttriumaluminum-garnet(lpNd:YAG)laser was primarily applied to coagulate and subsequently liquefy the hypertrophic vasculature of the PWS.The therapeutic energy used in treating different lesions should be carefully regulated to significantly affect the treatment outcomes.Results:The two cases presented herein demonstrated substantial improvement in hypertrophic vasculature that was largely removed.The skin was resurfaced,although some scar formation and mild hypopigmentation occurred.Conclusion:We suggest the use of short-pulsed CO_(2) and lpNd:YAG lasers for treating certain cases of hypertrophic PWS.When using a short-pulsed CO_(2) laser,it is wise to judge the treatment endpoint and take appropriate precautions to avoid intraoperative bleeding.When using an lpNd:YAG laser,the therapeutic energy should be controlled according to the thickness of the lesion to reduce scar formation.

Stains on imperfect textile

The imperfect material effect is one of the most important themes to obtain photo-realistic results in rendering.Textile material rendering has always been a key area in the field of computer graphics.So far,a great deal of effort has been invested in its unique appearance and physics-based simulation.The appearance of the dyeing effect commonly found in textiles has received little attention.This paper introduces techniques for simulation of staining effects on textiles.Pulling,wearing,squeezing,tearing,and breaking effects are more common imperfect effects of fabrics,these external forces will cause changes in the fabric structure,thus affecting the diffusion effect of stains.Based on the microstructure of yarn,we handle the effect of the stain on the imperfect textile surface.Our simulation results can achieve a photo-realistic effect.

Laboratory Study on the Whitening Ability of A New Type of Toothpaste Against the Tobacco Stains on Teeth

A whitening toothpaste containing pyrrolidone groups was developed.Through the stain-removal experiment on the hydroxyapatite discs with tobacco stains,the stain-removal abilities of ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP copolymer and its toothpaste were studied.The results showed that the new toothpaste containing pyrrolidone groups had good whitening effect.The new whitening toothpaste had good safety and it had no damage to the soft and hard tissues.

Tissue optical clearing enhances efficacy of vascular targeted photodynamic therapy of mouse dorsal skin

Vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy(V-PDT)is an effective treatment for port wine stains(PWS).However,repeated treatment is usually needed to achieve optimal treatment outcomes,possibly due to the limited treatment light penetration depth in the PWS lesion.The optical clearing technique can increase light penetration in depth by reducing light scattering.This study aimed to investigate the V-PDT in combination with an optical clearing agent(OCA)for the therapeutic enhancement of V-PDT in the rodent skinfold window chamber model.Vascular responses were closely monitored with laser speckle contrast imaging(LSCI),optical coherence tomography angiography,and stereo microscope before,during,and after the treatment.We further quantitatively demonstrated the effects of V-PDT in combination with OCA on the blood flow and blood vessel size of skin microvasculature.The combination of OCA and V-PDT resulted in significant vascular damage,including vasoconstriction and the reduction of blood flow.Our results indicate the promising potential of OCA for enhancing V-PDT for treating vascular-related diseases,including PWS.

小反刍兽疫LAMP反应结果可视化检测方法比较研究

环介导等温扩增(loop-mediated isothermal amplification,LAMP)技术是一种可应用于各种病原体检测、基因分型等领域的等温扩增技术。该技术所需设备简单且易于操作,因此具有较大的发展潜力。根据目前已经存在的判定LAMP结果的可视化方法,以可能对野生小反刍动物造成威胁的小反刍兽疫病毒(Peste des petits ruminants virus,PPRV)cDNA为检测对象,选择合适的引物组,比较评估均可在日光或紫外光下区分阴阳性结果的SYBR Green I、SYBR Safe Stain和羟基萘酚蓝(hydroxy naphthol blue,HNB)3种指示剂方法的适用性与灵敏度。结果表明:3种方法的灵敏度都很高,均与琼脂糖凝胶电泳相当。其中,SYBR Green I结果区分度高、不受体系成分影响且无须额外设备,但成本较高;SYBR Safe Stain具有良好的结果区分度,成本相对较低,但需要额外的紫外照射设备;HNB成本最低,但颜色区分度较低,且易受多种因素影响。建议在选择LAMP指示剂时,综合考虑成本、使用便利性、结果准确性及实验条件,通过充分的体系优化和验证,确保LAMP检测的准确性和可靠性。研究结果突显了不同方法的特征和适用场景,为研究人员根据不同场所与条件选择高效、便捷的LAMP反应结果可视化方法提供参考。

Detection of egg stains based on local texture feature clustering

The quality of egg is mainly influenced by the dirt adhering to its shell.Even with good farm-management practices and careful handling,a small percentage of dirty eggs will be produced.The purpose of this research was to detect the egg stains by using image processing technique.Compared to the color values,the local texture was found to be much more adept at accurately segmenting of the complex and miscellaneous dirt stains on the egg shell.Firstly,the global threshold of the image was obtained by two-peak method.The irrelevant background was removed by using the global threshold and the interested region was acquired.The local texture information extracted from the interested region was taken as the input of fuzzy C-means clustering for segmentation of the dirt stains.According to the principle of projection,the area of dirt stains on the curved egg surface was accurately calculated.The validation experimental results showed that the proposed method for classifying eggs in terms of stain has the specificity of 91.4%for white eggs and 89.5%for brown eggs.

Predictors of cerebrospinal fluid GeneXpert MTB/RIF positivity in patients with tuberculous meningitis:A prospective cohort study

Objective:To identify the clinical,laboratory,and radiological markers that could predict a positive GeneXpert result in patients suspected of tuberculous meningitis.Methods:In this prospective,observational study,patients with tuberculous meningitis were systematically evaluated.Various clinical,laboratory[including cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)microscopy,culture,and GeneXpert],and neuroimaging factors were examined.All participants were administered anti-tuberculous treatment and corticosteroids.A six-month follow-up was done to evaluate the outcome.Results:Of the 116 patients studied,54(46.6%)tested positive for GeneXpert,while 62(53.4%)were negative.Third cranial nerve involvement(OR 3.71,95%CI 1.052-13.09,P=0.04)and the presence of basal exudates on neuroimaging(OR 5.22,95%CI 2.03-13.42,P=0.001)emerged as independent predictive factors for a positive GeneXpert result.A positive CSF GeneXpert result(P=0.002)and drug resistance(P=0.004)were significantly linked to adverse outcomes.Additionally,a high score on the Medical Research Council stageⅢ(OR 5.64,95%CI 1.18-26.87,P=0.03)and elevated CSF cell counts(OR 1.002,95%CI 1.00-1.001,P=0.03)were identified as independent predictors of poor prognosis.Conclusions:Third cranial nerve involvement and the presence of basal exudates were significant indicators of a positive GeneXpert result.MRC stageⅢdisability and elevated CSF cell counts predicted poor outcomes.

Early diagnosis of esophageal cancer:How to put“early detection”into effect?

This editorial comments on the article by Qu et al in a recent edition of World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology,focusing on the importance of early diagnosis in managing esophageal cancer and strategies for achieving“early detection”.The five-year age-standardized net survival for esophageal cancer patients falls short of expectations.Early detection and accurate diagnosis are critical strategies for improving the treatment outcomes of esophageal cancer.While advancements in endoscopic technology have been significant,there seems to be an excessive emphasis on the latest high-end endoscopic devices and various endoscopic resection techniques.Therefore,it is imperative to redirect focus towards proactive early detection strategies for esophageal cancer,investigate the most cost-effective screening methods suitable for different regions,and persistently explore practical solutions to improve the five-year survival rate of patients with esophageal cancer.

Deep learning-based recognition of stained tongue coating images

Objective To build a dataset encompassing a large number of stained tongue coating images and process it using deep learning to automatically recognize stained tongue coating images.Methods A total of 1001 images of stained tongue coating from healthy students at Hunan University of Chinese Medicine and 1007 images of pathological(non-stained)tongue coat-ing from hospitalized patients at The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine withlungcancer;diabetes;andhypertensionwerecollected.Thetongueimageswererandomi-zed into the training;validation;and testing datasets in a 7:2:1 ratio.A deep learning model was constructed using the ResNet50 for recognizing stained tongue coating in the training and validation datasets.The training period was 90 epochs.The model’s performance was evaluated by its accuracy;loss curve;recall;F1 score;confusion matrix;receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve;and precision-recall(PR)curve in the tasks of predicting stained tongue coating images in the testing dataset.The accuracy of the deep learning model was compared with that of attending physicians of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).Results The training results showed that after 90 epochs;the model presented an excellent classification performance.The loss curve and accuracy were stable;showing no signs of overfitting.The model achieved an accuracy;recall;and F1 score of 92%;91%;and 92%;re-spectively.The confusion matrix revealed an accuracy of 92%for the model and 69%for TCM practitioners.The areas under the ROC and PR curves were 0.97 and 0.95;respectively.Conclusion The deep learning model constructed using ResNet50 can effectively recognize stained coating images with greater accuracy than visual inspection of TCM practitioners.This model has the potential to assist doctors in identifying false tongue coating and prevent-ing misdiagnosis.

Broad Hormonal Responses Induced by Aluminum in Roots of Dwarf Transgenics of Solanum lycopersicum L. cv “Micro-Tom”

The spatial pattern distribution of plant hormones in response to aluminum (Al) toxicity in roots remains to be shown. This study was performed to assess the root hormonal accumulation and gene expression in response to Al toxicity in five transgenic miniature dwarf tomatoes cv. Micro-Tom (MT). MT and MT transgenics to acid indole acetic, cytokinin, gibberellin, abscisic acid and ethylene were cultivated in nutrient solutions containing different Al concentrations. Root growth elongation was measured and cellular damage was visualized by staining Evans’s blue. The GUS reporter gene staining technique was used to visualize hormonal changes in MT apex root tissues. Data indicated that the MT is sensitive to Al that induced significant growth inhibition and cellular damage. Al concentration of 27 μM was significantly toxic, inducing root apex darkening and inhibition of root development. The qualitative evaluation of GUS reporter gene expression showed intense crosstalk among all hormones studied, underscoring the complexity of signaling induced by Al in apex roots. Results point out to a major understanding of the hormonal signaling in response to Al toxicity, which may induce a change of root growth and architecture with growth inhibition and cell constraints modulated by all different hormones evaluated.

DIOXIN RECEPTOR GENE EXPRESSION IN DIFFERENT STAINS OF MICE

The aim of the present experiment is to find out whether there exist any differences in tissue expression of aryl

Anti-Diabetic Activity of an Extract of Syzygium Jambolanum - A Review

Syzygium jambolanum is a promising natural treatment for diabetes.The potential benefits of S jambolanum for diabetes include lowering blood sugar levels,increasing insulin sensitivity,protecting pancreatic beta cells,and slowing the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream.The anti-diabetic activity of the crude extract of S jambolanum was evaluated in L6 myotubes and the lipid deposition in tissue was measured using Nile red Staining.Nile red staining confirmed that a considerable quantity of lipids had been deposited in the tissue treated with a crude extract of S jambolanum,comparable to the quantity of lipids deposited with a standard drug known as Rosiglitazone.This study analyzed the anti-diabetic activity of a crude extract of S jambolanum to understand its potential as a feedstock for extracting bioactive constituents to screen for bioactive molecules in the treatment of diabetes.

The relationship between the distribution of HBcAg in liver cells and the pathological manifestations of the liver in 429 HBeAg-positive chronic HBV-infected individuals

Background:The natural history of chronic HBV infection is typically characterized by four stages:the immune tolerance period,the immune clearance period,the immune control period,and the immune escape period.These stages are associated with the distribution of HBcAg in liver cells;however,this relationship remains a topic of broad debate within the field of liver disease.To objectively and quantitatively measure the intracellular distribution of HBcAg,this paper aims to design a method referred to as the“layered evaluation method”and to examine its validation.Methods:The distribution of HBcAg in liver cells is assessed using Image Pro Plus image processing software,along with calculations of cytoplasmic and nuclear positive staining rates.Results:The findings indicate that the highest proportion of patients exhibited a positive cytoplasmic expression rate ranging from 0-2.5%.More than 40% of the total sample was categorized within the 0-2.5% positive nuclear expression range.The HBcAg cytoplasmic positive staining rates were classified into five levels:a cytoplasmic HBcAg positive staining rate of less than 0.05% is designated as level 0,indicating negative expression;a staining rate between 0.05% and 5% is classified as level 1;a rate from 5% to less than 10% is classified as level 2;a rate from 10% to less than 20% is classified as level 3;and a nuclear positivity rate exceeding 20% is classified as level 4.Conclusion:The inflammatory activity grade in these patients was positively correlated with the cytoplasmic distribution of HBcAg.Furthermore,the nuclear distribution rate of HBcAg was significantly higher in the G3 group compared to the other groups.

The Impact of Different Stain Carriers on the mRNA Profiling from Bloodstains

Unlike DNA profiling,mRNA profiling is greatly affected by external factors.To analyze the influence of different stain carriers on the detectability of mRNA markers from bloodstains,this study examined 10 carriers,including a knife,cotton swab,paper,plastic,leather,cement,chopsticks,clothes,ceramic block,and wall.After detecting five specific mRNA markers(HBA,HBB,ALAS2,GYPA,and SPTB)and the housekeeping gene B2M in peripheral blood samples,no statistically significant differences in the effects of the carriers were found.The results suggest that when performing mRNA testing on bloodstains,the effect of the stain carrier has little influence.

Estimation of the age of human semen stains by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy:a preliminary study

Semen stain is one of the most important biological evidence at sexual crime scenes.Age estimation of human semen stains plays an important role in forensic work,and it is rarely studied due to lack of well-established methods.In this study,the technique called attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(ATR-FTIR)coupled with advanced chemometric methods was employed to determine the age of semen stains on three different substrates:glass slides,tissues and fabric made of regenerated cellulose fibres up to 6 d.Partial least squares regression(PLSR)was used in conjunction with spectral analysis for age estimation,and the results generated high R2 values(cross-validation:0.81,external validation:0.74)but a narrow margin of error for root mean square error(RMSE)(RMSE of cross-validation:0.77 d,RMSE of prediction:1.02 d).Additionally,our results indicated the robustness of PLSR model was not weaken by the influence of different substrates in this study.Our results indicate that ATR-FTIR,combined with chemometric methods,shows great potential as a convenient and efficient tool for age estimation of semen stains.Moreover,the method could be applied to routine forensic investigations in the future.

Invasive breast carcinoma with osteoclast-like stromal giant cells:A case report

BACKGROUND Invasive breast carcinoma with osteoclast-like stromal giant cells(OGCs) is an extremely rare morphology of breast carcinomas.To the best of our knowledge,the most recent case report describing this rare pathology was published six years ago.The mechanism controlling the development of this unique histological formation is still unknown.Further,the prognosis of patients with OGC involvement is also controversial.CASE SUMMARY We report the case of a 48-year-old woman,who presented to the outpatient department with a palpable,growing,painless mass in her left breast for about one year.Sonography and mammography revealed a 26.5 mm ×18.8 mm asymmetric,lobular mass with circumscribed margin and the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System was category 4C.Sono-guided aspiration biopsy revealed invasive ductal carcinoma.The patient underwent breast conserving surgery and was diagnosed with invasive breast carcinoma with OGCs,grade Ⅱ,with intermediate grade of ductal carcinoma in situ(ER:80%,3+,PR:80%,3+,HER-2:negative,Ki 67:30%).Adjuvant chemotherapy and post-operation radiotherapy were initiated thereafter.CONCLUSION As a rare morphology of breast cancer,breast carcinoma with OGC occurs most often in relatively young women,has less lymph node involvement,and its occurrence is not racedependent.