Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine abnormality with multiple diagnostic criteria due to its heterogenic manifestations. One of the diagnostic criterion includes analysis of ultrasound images of ovaries for the detection of number, size, and distribution of follicles within the ovary. This involves manual tracing of follicles on the ultrasound images to determine the presence of a polycystic ovary (PCO). A novel method that automates PCO morphology detection is described. Our algorithm involves automatic segmentation of follicles from ultrasound images, quantifying the attributes of the segmented follicles using stereology, storing follicle attributes as feature vectors, and finally classification of the feature vector into two categories. The classification categories are PCO morphology present and PCO morphology absent. An automatic PCO diagnostic tool would save considerable time spent on manual tracing of follicles and measuring the length and width of every follicle. Our procedure was able to achieve classification accuracy of 92.86% using a linear discriminant classifier. Our classifier will improve the rapidity and accuracy of PCOS diagnosis, and reduce the chance of the severe health implications that can arise from delayed diagnosis.

No description available.

To fully understand the mechanisms of lower airway inflammation associated with many equine diseases such as heaves or Rhodococcus equi infection, which are age specific, we must first identify baseline “normal” structural characteristics of the horse lung. To develop a detailed understanding of the morphology of the horse lung, stereological methods were adapted and applied to the lungs from healthy adult horses (n=4) and one day (n=5) and 30 day (n=5) old foals. The left lung from each animal was fixed in situ and was then removed from the body cavity and remained in fixative overnight before beginning an unbiased sampling procedure. The tissue samples were fixed in plastic and paraffin blocks for stereological evaluation and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The lung was characterised into parenchyma and non-parenchyma, where median parenchymal density (alveolar airspace, ductal airspace and tissue) was 81.0% in one day old foals, 84.4% in 30 day old foals and 93.7% in adult lungs. The median volume density of alveolar airspace per lung was 45.9% in one day old, 55.5% in 30 day and 66.9% in adult horse lungs. Ductal airspace and alveolar tissue volume density was unchanged between the age groups. The median alveolar surface area (m^2) seemed to increase with age, from about 205.3m^2, 258.2m^2 and 629.9m^2 in one day old foals, 30 day old foals, and adults, respectively. While the median alveolar surface density decreased with age, the mean linear intercept increased with age. Alveolar surface area was consistently greater than endothelial surface area (m^2) within each lung, however the ratio between alveolar and endothelial surface density remains unchanged with age. The median endothelium surface area was 106.2m^2 in one day, 147.5m^2 in 30 day and 430m^2 in adult lungs. The data show that the foal is born with a functionally developed lung and its basic architecture changes with age. Foal lung development and remodelling postnatally is a result of alveolar expansion paralleled with angiogenesis.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 216-225).

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 165-179).

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 27-28).

No description available.

A fome e a má nutrição permanecem entre os problemas mais devastadores que enfrentam a maioria dos pobres e carentes do mundo. A desnutrição está relacionada com o desequilíbrio do estado nutricional e ocorre sob diversas formas, podendo afetar o fígado. A desnutrição no início da vida pode afetar profundamente o corpo e o cérebro de ratos adultos. Alguns desses efeitos são permanentes enquanto outros desaparecem quando os animais são submetidos ao processo de renutrição. Sendo assim, outra maneira de interferir na regeneração hepática fundamenta-se no fato de que os processos proliferativos do fígado podem ser modulados por fatores alimentares. Experimentos de desnutrição protéico-energética mostraram que o fígado de ratos desnutridos regenera-se mais lentamente após a hepatectomia. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os efeitos da desnutrição e renutrição protéica na microestrutura dos fígados de camundongos. Foram utilizados 12 camundongos Swiss machos, subdividos nos seguintes grupos: Controle do desnutrido (CD) (n=3), Desnutrido (D) (n=3), Renutrido (R) (n=3) e Controle do renutrido (CR) (n=3). Os animais dos dois grupos controle e do grupo renutrido receberam ração normoprotéica (12%) ao passo que o grupo desnutrido recebeu ração hipoprotéica contendo (2%). Os seguintes parâmetros estereológicos do fígado foram estimados: volume, número total e o volume menor (p= 0,001) em relação ao CR (R= 8020 µm³ e CR= 10018 µm³). O número total de hepatócitos nos animais desnutridos não apresentou diferença significativa (p= 0,055) em comparação ao seu CR (D = 1.1 x 107 e CD=1.6 x 107) e o R não apresentou diferença significativa (p= 0,055) em comparação ao seu CR (R= 2.8 x 107 e CR= 2.2 x 107). Portanto, a renutrição atenuou a atrofia do volume do hepatócito ocasionada pelo processo de desnutrição (carência de proteína). / The hunger and the malnutrition remain the most devastating problems faced by the majority of poor and needy people in the world. The malnutrition is related to an unbalanced nutritional condition and it occurs in different ways may affecting the liver. In the beginning of life, the malnutrition can affect profoundly the body and the brain in adult rats. Most of these effects are permanent while others disappear when the animal are submitted to a renutrition process. In this way, other manner to interfere in the hepatic regeneration is based on the fact that the liver proliferative processes might be modulating by food factors. The energetic protein malnutrition experiments have showed that the undernourished rat livers regenerate slower after hepatectomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the caloric protein malnutrition and renutrition in the liver microstructure. In this study were used 12 Swiss male mice divided in: control of the undernourished mice (UC) (n=3), undernourished (U) (n=3), renourished (RN) (n=3) and control of the renourished (RNC) (n=3). The animals from both control groups and the undernourished group received normal protein food (12% protein) and the undernourished group received hypoprotein food (2% protein). The following stereological parameters were estimated: volume, total number and mean volume of the hepatocytes. The mean volume of U was significantly lower (p=0.001) than the UC (U= 23.57 mm³ e UC= 46.5 2mm³) and RN was lower (p=0.001) than the RNC (RN= 38.89 mm³ e RNC= 52.03 mm³).The mean volume of hepatocytes in undernourished animals was lower (p=0.001) in comparison with the respective control (U= 4505 µm³ e CD= 8170.13 µm³) and the RN was lower (p= 0.001) in relation to the RNC (RN= 8020 µm³ e RNC= 10018 µm³). The total number of hepatocytes in undernourished animals did not presented significant difference (p= 0.055) in comparison with the respective control (U = 1.1 x 107 e UC= 1.6 x 107). So, the renutrition attenuated the hepatocyte volume atrophy caused by the malnutrition process (protein deficiency).

O gânglio celíaco pertence ao plexo celíaco que consiste numa rede de nervos e tecidos de suporte. Os gânglios celíacos, pares, são alongados e situam-se ao longo da face caudal da origem da artéria celíaca. No lado esquerdo o gânglio está ligado por um ramo interganglionar. Ele está intimamente em contato com a superfície da aorta. A inervação autônoma da maioria dos órgãos abdominais faz-se pelo plexo celíaco e estes incluem o pâncreas, fígado, rim, vesícula biliar, epíplon, mesentério, estômago, intestino delgado e porções ascendente e transversa do cólon. A desnutrição protéico-calórica é um dos maiores problemas de saúde pública no mundo, representando nas nações subdesenvolvidas cerca de 40% das causas dos pacientes hospitalizados. Desta forma o estudo da inervação extrínseca do trato gastrintestinal (representada pelo gânglio celíaco) de ratos, sob os aspectos estereológicos e morfométricos, durante estados de desnutrição protéica será fundamental para aferir objetivamente (e não empiricamente) os possíveis danos neuronais ocasionados pela mesma. Ainda, o conhecimento destas informações quantitativas pode ser útil no entendimento da patogênese da neuropatia autonômica hipoproteica e conseqüentemente no seu tratamento, melhorando a qualidade de vida de pacientes animais e humanos. No decorrer deste estudo foram utilizados seis gânglios celíacos esquerdos provenientes de ratos Albinus Wistar neonatos machos provenientes de acasalamento durante um período de sete a dez dias. Três dos ratos eram desnutridos e três clinicamente saudáveis (ausência clínica de neuropatias) que foram usados como controle. Para os animais foram oferecida água sem restrições e uma dieta protéica (20% de proteína-caseina) para as fêmeas que gerarem o grupo controle constituído por três animais que serão denominados nutridos (N) e uma dieta hipoproteica (5% de caseína) para as fêmeas que gerarem o grupo desnutrido também composto por de três animais (D). A amostragem foi realizada de modo uniforme, sistemático e aleatório, volume ganglionar ou volume do gânglio (vg), número total de neurônios (n), densidade neuronal (nv), volume neuronal (vn), densidade de volume neuronal (vv). Todos os parâmetros estereológicos apresentaram valores superiores (bastante significativos). Os resultados sugerem a existência de diferenças biológicas, ou seja, os animais desnutridos apresentavam neurônios maiores e em maior número, mas distribuídos e mais afastados uns dos outros, já os desnutridos possuíam neurônios menores, menos numerosos e distribuídos em um número menor no gânglio. / The celiac ganglion belongs to the celiac plexus which consists of a net of nerves and supportive tissues. The celiac ganglia, even, are alonged and locate along the caudal face of the origin of the celiac artery. On the left side the ganglion is linked by an interganglionar branch. It is intimately in contact with the surface of the aorta. The autonomous innervation of most of the abdominal organs is made by the celiac plexus and these include the pancreas, liver, kidney, gall bladder, epíplon, mesentery, stomach, small intestine and ascendant and transversal portions of the colon. The proteic-caloric undernourishment is one of the largest problems of public health in the world, representing about 40% of the hospitalized patients in underdeveloped nations. Thus, the study of the extrinsic innervation of the gastrointestinal treatment (represented by the celiac ganglion) of rat, under the stereological and morphometric aspects, during states of proteic denutrition will be fundamental to objectively precise (and not empirically) the possible neuronal damages caused by the undernourishment. Still, the knowledge of these quantitative information can be useful in the understanding of the pathogenesis of the autonomous hipoproteic neuropathy and consequently in its treatment, improving the quality of life of patients, animals and humans. During this study, six left celiac ganglions of newborn male rats Albinus Wistar coming from coupling during a period from seven to ten days were used. Three of the mice were undernourished and three clinically healthy (clinical absence of neuropathies) were used as control. For the animals it was offered water with no restrictions and a proteic diet (20% of protein-casein) for the females that generated the group of control constituted by three animals which will be denominated nurtured (N) and a hipoproteic diet (5% of casein) for the females that generate the undernourished group also composed of three animals (D). The sampling was accomplished uniformly, systematic and aleatory, ganglionar volume or volume of the ganglion (Vref), total number of neurons (N), neuronal density (NV), neuronal volume (Vn), density of neuronal volume (Vv). All stereological parameters presented superior values (quite significant). The results suggest the existence of biological differences, in other words, the undernourished animals presented larger neurons and in larger number, but distributed one far from the other, the undernourished ones presented smaller and less neurons, and distributed in a smaller number in the ganglion.

O gânglio celíaco pertence ao plexo celíaco que consiste numa rede de nervos e tecidos de suporte. Os gânglios celíacos, pares, são alongados e situam-se ao longo da face caudal da origem da artéria celíaca. No lado esquerdo o gânglio está ligado por um ramo interganglionar. Ele está intimamente em contato com a superfície da aorta. A inervação autônoma da maioria dos órgãos abdominais faz-se pelo plexo celíaco e estes incluem o pâncreas, fígado, rim, vesícula biliar, epíplon, mesentério, estômago, intestino delgado e porções ascendente e transversa do cólon. A desnutrição protéico-calórica é um dos maiores problemas de saúde pública no mundo, representando nas nações subdesenvolvidas cerca de 40% das causas dos pacientes hospitalizados. Desta forma o estudo da inervação extrínseca do trato gastrintestinal (representada pelo gânglio celíaco) de ratos, sob os aspectos estereológicos e morfométricos, durante estados de desnutrição protéica será fundamental para aferir objetivamente (e não empiricamente) os possíveis danos neuronais ocasionados pela mesma. Ainda, o conhecimento destas informações quantitativas pode ser útil no entendimento da patogênese da neuropatia autonômica hipoproteica e conseqüentemente no seu tratamento, melhorando a qualidade de vida de pacientes animais e humanos. No decorrer deste estudo foram utilizados seis gânglios celíacos esquerdos provenientes de ratos Albinus Wistar neonatos machos provenientes de acasalamento durante um período de sete a dez dias. Três dos ratos eram desnutridos e três clinicamente saudáveis (ausência clínica de neuropatias) que foram usados como controle. Para os animais foram oferecida água sem restrições e uma dieta protéica (20% de proteína-caseina) para as fêmeas que gerarem o grupo controle constituído por três animais que serão denominados nutridos (N) e uma dieta hipoproteica (5% de caseína) para as fêmeas que gerarem o grupo desnutrido também composto por de três animais (D). A amostragem foi realizada de modo uniforme, sistemático e aleatório, volume ganglionar ou volume do gânglio (vg), número total de neurônios (n), densidade neuronal (nv), volume neuronal (vn), densidade de volume neuronal (vv). Todos os parâmetros estereológicos apresentaram valores superiores (bastante significativos). Os resultados sugerem a existência de diferenças biológicas, ou seja, os animais desnutridos apresentavam neurônios maiores e em maior número, mas distribuídos e mais afastados uns dos outros, já os desnutridos possuíam neurônios menores, menos numerosos e distribuídos em um número menor no gânglio. / The celiac ganglion belongs to the celiac plexus which consists of a net of nerves and supportive tissues. The celiac ganglia, even, are alonged and locate along the caudal face of the origin of the celiac artery. On the left side the ganglion is linked by an interganglionar branch. It is intimately in contact with the surface of the aorta. The autonomous innervation of most of the abdominal organs is made by the celiac plexus and these include the pancreas, liver, kidney, gall bladder, epíplon, mesentery, stomach, small intestine and ascendant and transversal portions of the colon. The proteic-caloric undernourishment is one of the largest problems of public health in the world, representing about 40% of the hospitalized patients in underdeveloped nations. Thus, the study of the extrinsic innervation of the gastrointestinal treatment (represented by the celiac ganglion) of rat, under the stereological and morphometric aspects, during states of proteic denutrition will be fundamental to objectively precise (and not empirically) the possible neuronal damages caused by the undernourishment. Still, the knowledge of these quantitative information can be useful in the understanding of the pathogenesis of the autonomous hipoproteic neuropathy and consequently in its treatment, improving the quality of life of patients, animals and humans. During this study, six left celiac ganglions of newborn male rats Albinus Wistar coming from coupling during a period from seven to ten days were used. Three of the mice were undernourished and three clinically healthy (clinical absence of neuropathies) were used as control. For the animals it was offered water with no restrictions and a proteic diet (20% of protein-casein) for the females that generated the group of control constituted by three animals which will be denominated nurtured (N) and a hipoproteic diet (5% of casein) for the females that generate the undernourished group also composed of three animals (D). The sampling was accomplished uniformly, systematic and aleatory, ganglionar volume or volume of the ganglion (Vref), total number of neurons (N), neuronal density (NV), neuronal volume (Vn), density of neuronal volume (Vv). All stereological parameters presented superior values (quite significant). The results suggest the existence of biological differences, in other words, the undernourished animals presented larger neurons and in larger number, but distributed one far from the other, the undernourished ones presented smaller and less neurons, and distributed in a smaller number in the ganglion.