Automatic Segmentation and Visualisation of the Epirretinal Membrane in OCT Scans Using Densely Connected Convolutional Networks

The Epiretinal Membrane (ERM) is an ocular disease that appears as a fibro-cellular layer of tissue over the retina, specifically, over the Inner Limiting Membrane (ILM). It causes vision blurring and distortion, and its presence can be indicative of other ocular pathologies, such as diabetic macular edema. The ERM diagnosis is usually performed by visually inspecting Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) images, a manual process which is tiresome and prone to subjectivity. In this work, we present a methodology for the automatic segmentation and visualisation of the ERM in OCT volumes using deep learning. By employing a Densely Connected Convolutional Network, every pixel in the ILM can be classified into either healthy or pathological. Thus, a segmentation of the region susceptible to ERM appearance can be produced. This methodology also produces an intuitive colour map representation of the ERM presence over a visualisation of the eye fundus created from the OCT volume. In a series of representative experiments conducted to evaluate this methodology, it achieved a Dice score of 0.826±0.112 and a Jaccard index of 0.714±0.155. The results that were obtained demonstrate the competitive performance of the proposed methodology when compared to other works in the state of the art.

To the anatomy and treatment of ectopic pregnancy

Regarding the vessels, my research yielded results similar to those obtained by other researchers. The vessels of the cellular layer are of particular interest, in particular those of them that, having a large caliber, have only an endothelial membrane (capillaries) or even lack any membrane (Blutlacnnen ѵ. Tussenbroek). The opinions of the authors differ as to the origin of these vessels from arteries or veins, due to the loss of the membranes and their expansion. Dobbert recognizes their origin in arteries, similar to the pregnant uterus and tube. Tussenbroek found that the arteries in the decidua retained their structure, and their branches, without loss of muscle membrane and expansion, came close to the surface. Therefore, she considers the veins to be the source of these vessels. As for my case, I found in the cell layer, in addition to capillaries and blood cavities without a trace of membranes, also branches of arteries with an extremely thin connective tissue membrane, which was especially striking when compared with the membranes of the arteries of the glandular layer. Therefore, I am inclined to recognize the origin of these blood vessels from the branches of the arteries, due to the loss of the membranes and their successive expansion. Thus, we find here a process analogous to that which occurs in decidua serotina during normal pregnancy, as proven by Waldeyer's work, Bohr's, Hofteier's, Gottschalk's and others. The presence of such blood cavities, devoid of their own wall, is the second characteristic feature of deciduae uteriuae during ectopic pregnancy.

Mertens. Beiträge zur normalen und pathalogischen Anatomie der menschlichen Placenta. (Zeitsch. F. Geb. und Gyn., XXX Bd., Hft. 1 and XXXI Bd., Hft. 1). About normal and pathological anatomy of the human placenta

After detailed literary studies on comparative anatomy and based on the preparation of a very young human egg, the author resolves the controversial issue of the nature and origin of the cover of chiral villi in the following way. In humans, as in other animals, the cover of chorial villi of the dancer consists of two layers, one cellular layer originating from the embryo (ectoderm) and the other protoplasmic, which is a modified uterine epithelium (syncytium). Already at the beginning of the insertion of the egg, both of these layers are so tightly interconnected that they form, as it were, one tissue layer, on which it is not difficult, however, to distinguish its initial constituent elements.

Understanding dynamic changes in live cell adhesion with neutron reflectometry

Neutron reflectometry (NR) was used to examine various live cells' adhesion to quartz substrates under different environmental conditions, including flow stress. To the best of our knowledge, these measurements represent the first successful visualization and quantization of the interface between live cells and a substrate with sub-nanometer resolution. In our first experiments, we examined live mouse fibroblast cells as opposed to past experiments using supported lipids, proteins, or peptide layers with no associated cells. We continued the NR studies of cell adhesion by investigating endothelial monolayers and glioblastoma cells under dynamic flow conditions. We demonstrated that neutron reflectometry is a powerful tool to study the strength of cellular layer adhesion in living tissues, which is a key factor in understanding the physiology of cell interactions and conditions leading to abnormal or disease circumstances. Continuative measurements, such as investigating changes in tumor cell — surface contact of various glioblastomas, could impact advancements in tumor treatments. In principle, this can help us to identify changes that correlate with tumor invasiveness. Pursuit of these studies can have significant medical impact on the understanding of complex biological problems and their effective treatment, e.g. for the development of targeted anti-invasive therapies.

Tuning endothelial monolayer adhesion: a neutron reflectivity study

Endothelial cells, master gatekeepers of the cardiovascular system, line its inner boundary from the heart to distant capillaries constantly exposed to blood flow. Interendothelial signaling and the monolayers adhesion to the underlying collagen-rich basal lamina are key in physiology and disease. Using neutron scattering, we report the first ever interfacial structure of endothelial monolayers under dynamic flow conditions mimicking the cardiovascular system. Endothelial adhesion (defined as the separation distance ℓ between the basal cell membrane and solid boundary) is explained using developed interfacial potentials and intramembrane segregation of specific adhesion proteins. Our method provides a powerful tool for the biophysical study of cellular layer adhesion strength in living tissues.

Influence of Organic Montmorillonite Orientation on Flame Retardancy of HIPS/OMMT Nanocomposite

The different organic montmorillonite (OMMT) orientation HIPS/OMMT nanocomposites were prepared through the melting intercalated method and second produce. The flame retardancy of the two composites was evaluated by the Cone calorimeter. The structure of burnt residues was observed by digital camera and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The experimental results show that the Heat Release Rate (HRR) and Mass Loss Rate (MLR) for horizontal orientation HIPS/OMMT nanocomposites are lowed in comparison with the vertical orientation composite. The burnt residue of horizontal orientation HIPS/OMMT nanocomposites has a continuous skin layer and three-dimensional texture cellular layer under the skin layer after burning. This kind of structure of char residues has a great effect on the flame retardancy of the composites. While vertical HIPS/OMMT nanocomposites do not formed the continuous skin layer, and the voids in char layer are vertical, which provide the passage for flammable gas, and its flame retardancy is not good.

Stem cells, stem cell niche and antler development

Annual full regeneration of deer antlers has been proved to be a stem cell-based process, and antler stem cells (ASC) reside in both antlerogenic periosteum (AP) and pedicle periosteum (PP). In this review, we first put forward a hypothesis that the closely associated skin is the primary component of ASC niche and then provide results testing this hypothesis. Membrane insertion experiments confirmed that interactions between ASC and the associated skin are indispensible for both antler generation and regeneration, and these are achieved through exchanging diffusible molecules. Intradermal AP transplantation study demonstrated that both epidermal and dermal papilla cells are involved in these interactions. Further, the AP inversion experiment indicated that the initial inductive signal originates from the ASC resident in the AP cellular layer, although the AP fibrous layer is naturally adjacent to skin. Experimental manipulation to the niche has profound effects on antler development. We believe that eventual identification of these interactive molecules will not only greatly enhance our knowledge of antler development, but also have significant impacts on regenerative medicine in general.

The morphofunctional changes in the skin after long influence of low-scale ionizing radiation

We researched musculocutaneous samples in two experimental groups, including 19 Chernobyl liquidation participants and 27 residents of the Siberian chemical combine zone, to trace the changes, which had happened in their skin after a long period of constant small-scale ionizing radiation influence. The analysis showed that the greatest changes had taken place in the epidermis of both groups in the form of thickening of horny and cellular layers and inflammatory infiltration of lymphocytes provided with the productive panvasculitis in the majority of arterioles. It is supposed, that after the long small-scale irradiation influence, in the skin develops two forms of reaction: defense reaction in the form of proliferative hyperkeratosis and immunopathological reaction, which is a consequence of activation in the cellular layer of epidermis combined with the appearance of effector section of immune answer, which stimulates the interaction of epidermal T-lymphocytes with the endothelial cells of derma vessels and participation of blood vessels of microcircular channel.

myo-Inositol hexakisphosphate is a major component of an extracellular structure in the parasitic cestode Echinococcus granulosus

myo-Inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) is an abundant intracellular component of animal cells. In this study we describe the presence of extracellular IP6 in the hydatid cyst wall (HCW) of the larval stage of the cestode parasite Echinococcus granulosus. The HCW comprises an inner cellular layer and an outer, acellular (laminated) layer up to 2mm in thickness that protects the parasite from host immune cells. A compound, subsequently identified as IP6, was detected in and purified from an HCW extract on the basis of its capacity to inhibit complement activation. The identification of the isolated compound was carried out by a combination of NMR, MS and TLC. The majority of IP6 in the HCW was found in the acellular layer, with only a small fraction of the compound being extracted from cells. In the laminated layer, IP6 was present in association with calcium, and accounted for up to 15% of the total dry mass of the HCW. IP6 was not detected in any other structures or stages of the parasite. Our results imply that IP6 is secreted by the larval stage of the parasite in a polarized fashion towards the interface with the host. This is the first report of the secretion of IP6, and the possible implications beyond the biology of E. granulosus are discussed.