Morphology of the ventral lobe of the prostate and seminal vesicles in an ethanol-drinking strain of rats (UChA and UChB)

Chronic alcoholism alters reproduction and therefore may be responsible for alterations of prostate and seminal vesicles, which are the subject of this analysis in UCh ethanol-drinking rats. The prostate and seminal vesicles of 20 animals were submitted to macroscopic, light microscopy, electron microscopy and morphometric analysis. The UCh rats showed atrophy of the epithelium and reduction of the weight of the prostate and seminal vesicle, liver hypertrophy and fat infiltration and alterations of the hypothalamus-pituitary axis. Ethanol induces changes in the weight and in the epithelium of prostate and seminal vesicles and hypothalamus-pituitary axis of UCh rats.

Diagnostic agreement of conventional and inverted scanned panoramic radiographs in the detection of the mandibular canal and the mental foramen.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic agreement of conventional panoramic radiographs and their inverted scanned images in the detection of the mandibular canal and mental foramen. A total of 77 panoramic radiographs obtained from the files of totally edentulous patients were used. Digitization was done by means of a scanner with brightness and contrast adjustment, as well as image inversion. The extension of mandibular canal was divided into anterior, middle, and posterior regions, and the presence of a radiopaque line that characterized the mandibular canal was classified according to a 5-point confidence scale. The mental foramen was classified in 4 types: continuous, separated, diffuse, and unidentified. Both conventional and inverted scanned panoramic radiographs were evaluated by 3 calibrated implantologists at 2 distinct moments with a minimum interval of 10 days between them. Intraexaminer agreement was evaluated by Kappa statistics by point and by 95% confidence interval. Because the intraexaminer level of agreement was low, interexaminer agreements could not be carried out. The results showed a substantial (in 2 situations), moderate (in 16 situations), and fair (in 18 situations) intraexaminer agreement for mandibular canal and a substantial (in 1 situation), fair (in 1 situation), and moderate (in 10 situations) intraeaminer agreement for mental foramen. There were no statistically significant differences in most instances. In conclusion, the diagnostic agreement of conventional and inverted scanned panoramic radiographs for detection of mandibular canal and mental foramen was low.

Myxopapillary ependymoma of the posterior mediastinum

A left paravertebral mass discovered incidentally on routine examination in a 39-year-old woman is described. Computerized tomography studies revealed a 7 × 6 cm, well circumscribed, noncalcified soft tissue mass with lobular borders abutting the left inferior pulmonary vein and descending aorta. It was not possible to determine the exact anatomic location of the mass based on the imaging studies as both peripheral lung tumors and posterior mediastinal lesions may exhibit the imaging findings described here. At thoracotomy, the mass was seen to be well circumscribed, focally attached to the pleura but without involvement of lung parenchyma, and situated in the left posterior mediastinum. On histological examination, the lesion showed the classical features of myxopapillary ependymoma. Immunohistochemical studies confirmed this impression by demonstrating strong positivity of the tumor cells for S-100 protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and CD99 and negative staining with other differentiation markers. A review of the literature with a discussion of the histologic and radiologic differential diagnosis of these lesions is presented. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Densitometric analysis of the autogenous demineralized dentin matrix on the dental socket wound healing process in humans

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the autogenous demineralized dentin matrix (ADDM) on the third molar socket wound healing process in humans, using the guided bone regeneration technique and a polytetrafluoroethylene barrier (PTFE). Twenty-seven dental sockets were divided into three groups: dental socket (Control), dental socket with PTFE barrier (PTFE), and dental socket with ADDM slices associated to PTFE banier (ADDM + PTFE). The dental sockets were submitted to radiographic bone densitometry analysis and statistical analysis on the 15th, 30th, 60th and 90th days using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's test (p ≤ 0.05). The radiographic analysis of the ADDM + PTFE group showed greater homogeneity of bone radiopacity than the Control group and the PTFE group, during all the observation times. The dentin matrix gradually disappeared from the dental socket during the course of the repair process, suggesting its resorption during the bone remodeling process. It was concluded that the radiographic bone density of the dental sockets treated with ADDM was similar to that of the surrounding normal bone on the 90th day. The ADDM was biocompatible with the bone tissue of the surgical wounds of human dental sockets. The radiographic analysis revealed that the repair process was discreetly faster in the ADDM + PTFE group than in the Control and PTFE groups, although the difference was not statistically significant. In addition, the radiographic image of the ADDM + PTFE group suggested that its bone architecture was better than that of the Control and PFTE groups.

The influence of the flame structure on the combustion oscillations in a cylindrical chamber

An experimental study has been conducted with the objective of investigating the effects of the flame structure in the combustion oscillation conditions into a laboratorial scale cylindrical chamber. The experiments were conducted in a water-jacketed 1-m long by 25-cm internal diameter stainless steel vertical tube. The combustor operated with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in both oscillatory and non oscillatory conditions, under the same input conditions. Part of the reactant mixture was excited acoustically, before the burner exit, by a speaker positioned strategically. The burner was aligned with the chamber longitudinal axis and positioned at its bottom. The experiments were conducted for 0.16 g/s of LPG burning in stoichiometric equivalence ratio. To analyze the flame structure the image tomographic reconstruction process were used, and the resultant images were associated to the oscillatory conditions (frequency and amplitude) into the combustion chamber. The main conclusions were: 1) when the flame premixed condition increase, for example 60% of the total air flow rate is premixed with LPG, the region of intense energy released is close to burner exit and strong amplitudes of oscillation (close to 50 mbar) were obtained into the chamber; 2) for long flames, predominantly diffusive flames, just weak amplitudes were detected, in the spite of the speaker exiting the premixed flow; 3) when the energy is released distributed through the combustion chamber, the long flame acts like a baffle. Copyright © 2006 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the thermoplasticity of different gutta-percha cones and the TC system

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the thermoplasticity of three commercial brands of gutta-percha (Tanari, Dentsply 0.06, and Roeko), and of the TC system. Materials and Methods: Standardized specimens were fabricated from the materials to be evaluated. Specimens were placed in water at 70°C for 60 seconds. Following that, they were positioned between two glass slabs and each set was compressed by a 5kg weight. Images of the specimens before and after compression were digitized and analyzed by the Image Tool software. The flow capacity of each material was confirmed by the difference between the initial and final areas of each sample. Results: The resulting data were analyzed by ANOVA. The TC system presented the greatest thermoplasticity values (p<0.05). Among the gutta-percha cones, the Roeko brand showed higher thermoplasticity than the others (p<0.05). Conclusion: The gutta-percha from TC system present good thermoplasticity capacity.

Endovascular treatment of pseudoaneurysm of the thoracic aorta from a firearm injury

A 24-year-old male patient was the victim of a firearm wound that penetrated the thorax. He arrived at another hospital hemodynamically unstable and was submitted to exploratory surgery by means of bithoracotomy. A lesion of the left branch of the pulmonary artery was detected and successfully repaired. He was submitted for computer-aided tomography on the fifth postoperative day, and a lesion of the mid-thoracic aorta was detected, which formed a saccular image. Considering that the patient had already been submitted to a bithoracotomy and that a direct approach to repair would involve another thoracotomy within a short period of time, endovascular treatment was chosen in our hospital. The procedure was performed under fluoroscopy. A second computer-aided tomography indicated adequate treatment of the lesion, with no indication of an endoleak. He has undergone ambulatory follow-up for 36 months without any problem related to the procedure. While endovascular treatment of the aorta has developed enormously, multicenter studies are needed to better define the long-term results of this approach. © 2008 Published by European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Implementation of filters for image pre-processing for leaf analyses in plantations

In this work an image pre-processing module has been developed to extract quantitative information from plantation images with various degrees of infestation. Four filters comprise this module: the first one acts on smoothness of the image, the second one removes image background enhancing plants leaves, the third filter removes isolated dots not removed by the previous filter, and the fourth one is used to highlight leaves' edges. At first the filters were tested with MATLAB, for a quick visual feedback of the filters' behavior. Then the filters were implemented in the C programming language. At last, the module as been coded in VHDL for the implementation on a Stratix II family FPGA. Tests were run and the results are shown in this paper. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Doppler ultrasonography principles and methods of evaluation of the reproductive tract in mares

Background: Doppler ultrasonography is a non-invasive real time pulse-wave technique recently used for the transrectal study of the reproductive system hemodynamics in large animals. This technic is based in the Doppler Effect Principle that proposes the change in frequency of a wave for an observer (red blood cells) moving relative to the source of the respective wave (ultrasonic transducer). This method had showed to be effective and useful for the evaluation of the in vivo equine reproductive tract increasing the diagnostic, monitoring, and predictive capabilities of theriogenology in mares. However, an accurate and truthful ultrasonic exam requires the previous knowledge of the Doppler ultrasonography principles. Review: In recent years, the capabilities of ultrasound flow imaging have increased enormously. The current Doppler ultrasound machines offer three methods of evaluation that may be used simultaneously (triplex mode). In B-mode ultrasound, a linear array of transducers simultaneously scans a plane through the tissue that can be viewed as a two-dimensional gray-scale image on screen. This mode is primarily used to identify anatomically a structure for its posterior evaluation using colored ultrasound modes (Color or Spectral modes). Colored ultrasound images of flow, whether Color or Spectral modes, are essentially obtained from measurements of moving red cells. In Color mode, velocity information is presented as a color coded overlay on top of a B-mode image, while Pulsed Wave Doppler provides a measure of the changing velocity throughout the cardiac cycle and the distribution of velocities in the sample volume represented by a spectral graphic. Color images conception varies according to the Doppler Frequency that is the difference between the frequency of received echoes by moving blood red cells and wave frequency transmitted by the transducer. To produce an adequate spectral graphic it is important determine the position and size of the simple gate. Furthermore, blood flow velocity measurement is influence by the intersection angle between ultrasonic pulses and the direction of moving blood-red cells (Doppler angle). Objectively colored ultrasound exam may be done on large arteries of the reproductive tract, as uterine and ovary arteries, or directly on the target tissue (follicle, for example). Mesovarium and mesometrium attachment arteries also can be used for spectral evaluation of the equine reproductive system. Subjectively analysis of the ovarian and uterine vascular perfusion must be done directly on the corpus luteum, follicular wall and uterus (endometrium and myometrium associated), respectively. Power-flow imaging has greater sensitivity to weak blood flow and independent of the Doppler angle, improving the evaluation of vessels with small diameters and slow blood flow. Conclusion: Doppler ultrasonography principles, methods of evaluation and reproductive system anatomy have been described. This knowledge is essential for the competent equipment acquisition and precise collection and analysis of colored ultrasound images. Otherwise, the reporting of inconsistent and not reproducible findings may result in the discredit of Doppler technology ahead of the scientific veterinary community.

Uterine and luteal hemodynamic evaluation of the non pregnant mare

Background: Studies with Doppler ultrassonography started at the end of the 90s for the determination of physiological and pathological alterations in the reproductive tract of the mare. Uterine alterations caused by inflammation, response from seminal plasma infusion, hormonal variations during estrous and diestrus, pregnancy and action of various vasoactive factors influence on the vascular perfusion detected by Doppler ultrasound. The development of efficient methods for uterine quality evaluation is of big importance for field equine reproduction veterinarians, once uterine environment is responsible for pregnancy maintenance. Review: Nowadays, the most used methods of uterine evaluation are the mode B ultrassonography, cytology, culture and biopsy. Hemodynamic evaluation of the uterus can be done by spectral data collected from large vessels, as A. uterine and its ramifications, or from subjective or objective evaluations from endometrium, miometrium and mesometrium attachment, which provide data referent to local and specific alterations of the evaluated area. Alterations in uterine vascular perfusion has been detected during estrous cycle, during pregnancy and in cases of infusion of inflammatory substances. These alterations happen because of vasoactive substances that act in the uterus during these events, however, most of these vasoactive substances are probably not even known. Also, important hemodynamic alterations in old mares, as an increase in vascular resistance, have been described. This increase might result from fibrosis of the uterus and in women it is considered to be a cause of infertility. In mares, periglandular fibrosis of the endometrium is considered to be the major diagnosable cause of embryonic and fetal loss in older mares. For the CL, ovarian artery of the mare supplies the ovary as well as the oviduct and therefore can be used for evaluation of these areas. The CL evaluation can also be done by the percentage of luteum area with colored signals as an indicator of the extent of blood flow. The percentage of the CL area with colored signals is determined subjectively by images observations in real time and/or by a freezing Power Doppler cross-section image with the maximum number of color pixels taped and the total number of color pixels is assessed by a computer analysis system. Therefore, a high correlation between plasmatic progesterone and CL vascularization also allows the CL evalution by this technique. In a first report, CL circulation reached its maximum on D5, the progesterone concentration in peripheral blood increased until D7 and in a posterior report, maximum perfusion was achieved two days after the maximum progesterone concentration (D8). Blood flow reduced between D10-D14 some days before the plasma progesterone decrease and, during the luteolytic period (D15-D17), the decline in CL blood-flow area was greater than blood flow decrease. Conclusion: Doppler ultrassonography add knowledge about uterine viability and CL functionality can be easily used by veterinarians in the field. It is a noninvasive method that provides real time results. However, because of the short time studies in this area have been done, many other answers still need to be found until normal and pathological patterns will be established.

Automatic segmentation of the secondary austenite-phase island precipitates in a superduplex stainless steel weld metal

Duplex and superduplex stainless steels are class of materials of a high importance for engineering purposes, since they have good mechanical properties combination and also are very resistant to corrosion. It is known as well that the chemical composition of such steels is very important to maintain some desired properties. In the past years, some works have reported that γ 2 precipitation improves the toughness of such steels, and its quantification may reveals some important information about steel quality. Thus, we propose in this work the automatic segmentation of γ 2 precipitation using two pattern recognition techniques: Optimum-Path Forest (OPF) and a Bayesian classifier. To the best of our knowledge, this if the first time that machine learning techniques are applied into this area. The experimental results showed that both techniques achieved similar and good recognition rates. © 2012 Taylor & Francis Group.

Application of UTHSCSA-Image ToolTM to estimate concrete texture

The texture of concrete blocks is very important and is often the decisive factor when choosing a product, particularly if the building specifications does not dispense with the high resistance of the blocks, but has the purpose of reducing costs with finishing, therefore preferring exposed blocks with a closer texture. Furthermore, a closer texture, especially for exteriors,may be the vital factor of the building's pathology.However, there is so far no standard to quantify the texture of a structural block. This article proposes to apply the freely available UTHSCSA-Image ToolTM program developed by the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio to evaluate the texture of masonry blocks. One aspect that should never be overlooked when studying masonry blocks is compressive strength. Therefore, this work also gets the compressive strength of the blocks with and without the addition of lime. The addition of small quantities of lime proved beneficial for both texture and compressive strength. However, increasing the amount of lime proved to be feasible only to improve texture. © 2012 Taylor & Francis Group.

Components of the acoustic swallowing signal: Preliminary study

Purpose: To analyze the components of the acoustic signal of swallowing using a specific software. Methods: Fourteen healthy subjects ranging in age from 20 to 50 years (mean age 31±10 years), were evaluated. Data collection consisted on the simultaneous capture of the swallowing audio with a microphone and of the swallowing videofluoroscopic image. The bursts of the swallowing acoustic signal were identified and their duration and the interval between them were later analyzed using a specific software, which allowed the simultaneous analyses between the acoustic wave and the videofluoroscopic image. Results: Three burst components were identified in most of the swallows evaluated. The first burst presented mean time of 87.3 milliseconds (ms) for water and 78.2 for the substance. The second burst presented mean time of 112.9 ms for water and 85.5 for the pasty substance. The mean interval between first and second burst was 82.1 ms for water and 95.3 ms for the pasty consistency, and between second and third burst was 339.8 ms for water and 322.0 ms for the pasty consistency. Conclusion: The software allowed the visualization of three bursts during the swallowing of healthy individuals, and showed that the swallowing signal in normal subjects is highly variable.

Comparative analysis between three methods of bone estimating age in individuals with down syndrome by mode of the hand and wrist ray

The wrist and hand region has been the most commonly used for estimating age and osseous development due to the great number of ossification centers. The aim was to determine which method, Tanner & Whitehouse's (TW3), Greulich & Pyle's (GP) or Eklof & Ringertz's, more closely relates to the chronological age in subjects with Down syndrome with chronological ages between 61 and 180 months, using wrist and hand radiographs. The sample consisted of 85 radiographs, 52 of males and 33 of females. Eklof & Ringertz's method was computerized (Radiomemory). Greulich & Pyle's atlas was used and compared with the wrist and hand radiographs. For the TW3 method, 13 ossification centers were evaluated; for each one of them, there are seven or eight development stages to which scores are assigned; these scores are then added and the results are transformed into osseous age values. No statistically significant differences were observed between the male and female genders for methods TW3 and GP, contrasting with the observed differences for the Eklof & Ringertz method. Correlation (r2) between osseous and chronological ages was 0.8262 for TW3 and 0.7965 for GP, while for the method of Eklof & Ringertz, it was 0.7656 for females and 0.8353 for males. The author concluded that the osseous age assessment method that better related to the chronological age was the TW3, followed by Greulich & Pyle's and Eklof & Ringertz's.

Evaluation of semen characteristics of the species Mazama americana in captivity

In recent years the concept of genomic resource banks has grown as a way of maintaining the genetic variability of populations, while the quality of cryopreservation of the gametes determines the effectiveness of such banks. However, the absence of basic knowledge regarding the physiology of species and their semen characteristics hampers the establishment of reproductive biotechnologies. Thus, this paper aimed to determine certain physicochemical (volume, colour, appearance, pH and osmolarity) and microscopic characteristics (mass movement, motility, vigour, concentration, and sperm morphology and morphometry) of semen of the species Mazama americana. To achieve this, five males of the species were used, and three semen samples per buck (electroejaculation) were collected at intervals of 2 weeks. The volume, pH and osmolarity of the ejaculate were 0.39 ± 0.14 mL, 6.90 ± 0.74 and 297.74 ± 19.10 mOsm/kg, respectively, while the values obtained for mass movement, motility, vigour and concentration were 3.33 ± 0.82; 69.6 ± 8.92%; 3.53 ± 0.50, and 244.07 ± 98.65 × 107/mL, respectively. Regarding the colour of the ejaculate, five samples were classified as ivory, two as yellowish, two as whitish and six as white. Regarding appearance, seven samples were considered creamy and eight, milky. Morphology was analysed in a humid chamber under phase contrast microscopy and 73.50 ± 5.57% of cells presented normal morphology, 8.37 ± 3.15% presented major defects and 18.13 ± 6.46% presented minor defects. To determine sperm morphometry, an optical microscope (Leica DM 5000B) and the Leica Qwin image analyser program were used, resulting in 8.09 ± 0.40, 4.65 ± 0.30, 2.81 ± 0.44 and 30.25 ± 3.02 m for length, largest width, smallest width and area, respectively. Copyright © CSIRO 2013.