scholarly journals Plaque Size Tool: An automated plaque analysis tool for simplifying and standardising bacteriophage plaque morphology measurements

Virology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellina Trofimova ◽  
Paul R. Jaschke
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellina Trofimova ◽  
Paul R Jaschke

AbstractBacteriophage plaque size measurement is essential for phage characterisation, but their manual size estimation requires a considerable amount of time and effort. In order to ease the work of phage researchers, we have developed an automated command-line application called Plaque Size Tool (PST) that can detect plaques of different morphology on the images of Petri dishes and measure plaque area and diameter. Plaque size measurements using PST showed no difference to those obtained with manual plaque size measurement in Fiji, indicating future results using PST are backwards compatible with prior measurements in the literature. PST can be applied to a range of lytic bacteriophages producing oval-shaped plaques, including bull’s-eye morphology. The application can also be used for titer calculation if most of the plaques are stand-alone. As laboratory automation becomes more commonplace, standardised and flexible open-source analytical tools like PST will be important parts of biofoundry and cloud lab bacteriophage workflows.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. A. Bonaterra ◽  
K. Bender ◽  
B. Wilhelm ◽  
H. Schwarzbach ◽  
S. Metz ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Effects of re-supplementation of a cholesterol-enriched diet (CEDrs) on size, cholesterol content and morphology of already existing plaques are not known to date. Methods A group of rabbits received standard chow (SC) for 6 weeks (“negative control”; for plasma lipid measurements only). Group I-IV received 2% CED (induction) for 6 weeks; thereafter, groups II-IV have been fed a SC (= cholesterol withdrawal) for 68 weeks. Afterwards, feeding of groups II-IV was continued as follows: Group II - 10 weeks SC, group III - 4 weeks 0.5% CED (~re-supplementation), afterwards 6 weeks SC (~withdrawal again); group IV - 4 weeks 0.5% CED (re-supplementation) + atorvastatin (2.5 mg/kg body weight/day), afterwards 6 weeks SC (~withdrawal again) + atorvastatin. Plasma lipids, but also plaque size, morphology and cholesterol contents of thoracic aortas were quantified. Results After CEDrs, plasma cholesterol levels were increased. However, after withdrawal of CEDrs, plasma cholesterol levels decreased, whereas the cholesterol content of the thoracic aorta was increased in comparison with the group without CEDrs. Plaque size remained unaffected. Atorvastatin application did not change plasma cholesterol level, cholesterol content of the thoracic aorta and plaque size in comparison with the group without drug treatment. However, atorvastatin treatment increased the density of macrophages (MΦ) compared with the group without treatment, with a significant correlation between densities of MΦ (Mac-1+) and apoptotic (TUNEL+; TP53+), antigen-presenting (HLA-DR+) or oxidatively stressed (SOD2+) cells. Conclusions In rabbits with already existing plaques, CEDrs affects plaque morphology and cellular composition, but not plaque size. Despite missing effects on plasma cholesterol levels, cholesterol content of the thoracic aorta and size of already existing atherosclerotic plaques, atorvastatin treatment transforms the already existing lesions to a more active form, which may accelerate the remodelling to a more stable plaque.


1977 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stella M. Esrig ◽  
Stanley P. Racis ◽  
Harvey Lichtblau ◽  
Richard Kruger ◽  
Byron Goldstein

Author(s):  
Melen McBride

Ethnogeriatrics is an evolving specialty in geriatric care that focuses on the health and aging issues in the context of culture for older adults from diverse ethnic backgrounds. This article is an introduction to ethnogeriatrics for healthcare professionals including speech-language pathologists (SLPs). This article focuses on significant factors that contributed to the development of ethnogeriatrics, definitions of some key concepts in ethnogeriatrics, introduces cohort analysis as a teaching and clinical tool, and presents applications for speech-language pathology with recommendations for use of cohort analysis in practice, teaching, and research activities.


2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 44-54
Author(s):  
Kerry Callahan Mandulak

Spectral moment analysis (SMA) is an acoustic analysis tool that shows promise for enhancing our understanding of normal and disordered speech production. It can augment auditory-perceptual analysis used to investigate differences across speakers and groups and can provide unique information regarding specific aspects of the speech signal. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the utility of SMA as a clinical measure for both clinical speech production assessment and research applications documenting speech outcome measurements. Although acoustic analysis has become more readily available and accessible, clinicians need training with, and exposure to, acoustic analysis methods in order to integrate them into traditional methods used to assess speech production.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-39
Author(s):  
Achmad Tjahjono ◽  
Siti Chaeriyah

The Company was founded with the goal of increasing the value of the company as well as to provide prosperity for the owners or shareholders. Good Corporate Governance and profitability is an effort to enhance company value. This study aims to determine the influence of good corporate governance to company value with profitability as intervening variable. The population of this research is manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2010 - 2014. The sample is taken by using purposive sampling method. Under this method, as many as 123 companies were obtained. The analysis tool to test the hypothesis is path analysis with AMOS software version 21. Data analysis method is descriptive analysis, path analysis, and sobeltest. The results of this study indicate that managerial ownership, the audit committee and the profitability have positive impact toward the of the company value, institutional ownership has positive impact but not significant, non-executive director with negative effect tendency on the company value. The results of this study also showed that profitability cannot mediate the effect of good corporate governance mechanisms on company value. It can be suggested to replace the intervening variable with other variables such as quality of earnings instead of profitability since it is declined as an intervening variable. non-executive director and institutional ownership does not contribute any positive and significant effect on company value and profitability. The following research can use another proxy in the measurement process and consider other theories that could explain comprehensively.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-63
Author(s):  
Heru Heryanto ◽  
Nur Laela ◽  
Riana R Dewi

This study aims to determine the significance of the influence of competence, independence, professionalism, auditor experience, accountability, and auditor's knowledge of audit quality. This study uses a questionnaire with a population and sample, namely all auditors who work at the Public Accounting Office (KAP) in the Special Region of Yogyakarta and Surakarta. Sampling techniques using Convenience Sampling with a sample of 61 respondents. The data used in this study is a questionnaire using a Likert scale 1 to 5. The data analysis technique used in this study is multiple linear regression using the SPSSprogram for Windows. The analysis tool in this study using validity and reliability, the classical assumption (normality test, multicollinearity, heteroscedasticity test and autocorrelation test) while the data were analyzed using multiple linear regression test, t test, F test and the coefficient of determination (R2).Based on the results of the t-test analysis performed, it shows that there is a positive influence of competence, independence, professionalism, auditor experience, accountability, and auditor's knowledge of audit quality and simultaneously competency, independence, professionalism, auditor experience, accountability, and auditor knowledge variables affect quality audit


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