Stanford Medicine researchers have developed a method that uses lasers to penetrate tissue and create a high-resolution, three-dimensional reconstruction of the cells it contains. From this virtual reconstruction, they can make cross-sectional images that mimic those generated by a standard biopsy, in which a sample of tissue is sliced into thin layers and placed on a slide to be examined under a microscope.
The new method, published April 10 in Science Advances, could be used to noninvasively scan the skin for unhealthy cells as well as provide rapid results on biopsies taken elsewhere in the body. It could also provide more information than current diagnostic approaches.
For nearly a decade, de la Zerda and his colleagues have been studying a different way of seeing inside the body, called optical coherence tomography. Typically used by ophthalmologists to image the back of the eye, OCT scans measure how light waves from a laser bounce off a tissue to create a rendering of its insides (similar to the way ultrasound uses sound waves to visualize organs).
The higher resolution of the OCT images opened the door to using the method to diagnose disease without producing H&Es. But de la Zerda and his colleagues thought clinicians would be more apt to use OCT if the images looked familiar.
For 199 skin biopsies collected at Stanford Hospital, Winetraub carried out an OCT scan before pathologists created H&E slices. He and his colleagues developed a way of putting molecular tags on the surface of the biopsies so they could be sure exactly where in the OCT scan each H&E slice came from. Then, Winetraub paired up 1,005 of these H&E images with the corresponding OCT images and entered them into an artificial intelligence algorithm which could learn how to create accurate H&Es from the raw OCT data.
The researchers fine-tuned the AI program by showing it an additional 553 pairs of H&E and OCT images before testing it out on new OCT images. When three Stanford dermatologists analyzed random assortments of true H&E images and those created from the OCT scans, they could detect cellular structures at a similar rate. Any number of H&E images can be created from a single OCT image, virtually slicing the three-dimensional reconstruction in any direction.
Similarly, surgeons removing breast tumors currently send removed tissue to pathologists to process over several days and determine whether any cancerous cells were missed. Around 20% of breast cancer patients require a second surgery to remove more cells. If H&E images could be produced from an OCT camera in the operating room to instantaneously detect whether cancer cells remained, subsequent surgeries could be avoided.
Funding for this research was provided by the United States Air Force, the National Institutes of Health (grants DP50D012179 and K23CA211793), the National Science Foundation, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, the Claire Giannini Fund, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Mary Kay Foundation, the Skippy Frank Foundation, the Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation, the Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence and Translation, the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Alexander and Margaret Stewart Trust, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, and Stanford Bio-X.
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Background: Skin involvement is of major prognostic value in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and often the primary outcome in clinical trials. Nevertheless, an objective, validated biomarker of skin fibrosis is lacking. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technology providing high-contrast images with 4 μm resolution, comparable with microscopy ('virtual biopsy'). The present study evaluated OCT to detect and quantify skin fibrosis in SSc.
Methods: We performed 458 OCT scans of hands and forearms on 21 SSc patients and 22 healthy controls. We compared the findings with histology from three skin biopsies and by correlation with clinical assessment of the skin. We calculated the optical density (OD) of the OCT images employing Matlab software and performed statistical analysis of the results, including intraobserver/interobserver reliability, employing SPSS software.
Results: Comparison of OCT images with skin histology indicated a progressive loss of visualisation of the dermal-epidermal junction associated with dermal fibrosis. Furthermore, SSc affected skin showed a consistent decrease of OD in the papillary dermis, progressively worse in patients with worse modified Rodnan skin score (p
Conclusions: OCT of the skin could offer a feasible and reliable quantitative outcome measure in SSc. Studies determining OCT sensitivity to change over time and its role in defining skin vasculopathy may pave the way to defining OCT as a valuable imaging biomarker in SSc.
It started around 2012 when Valve introduced skins in Team Fortress 2 and CS:GO. They were added to create more excitement and player engagement. Skins were seen as a reward, an enticement to play their game.
In roulette the object is to pick the correct color (red, black or green) where the spinning ball will land on the wheel. On some gambling sites you can also bet on numbers and custom colors which can pay up to 50 times your bet. Compared to normal casino roulette, skin gambling roulette usually have a different layout, but the principle is the same.
Abarbanel, B., Gainsbury, S. M., King, D., Hing, N. & Delfabbro, P. H. (2016). Gambling Games on Social Platforms: How Do Advertisements for Social Casino Games Target Young Adults? Policy Studies Organization. Policy and Internet.
King, D. L., Delfabbro, P. H., Deverensky, J. & Griffiths, M. (2012). A review of Australian classification practices for commercial video games featuring simulated gambling. International Gambling Studies.
PRNewswire. (2012, January 12). International game technology to acquire social gaming company double down interactive. International Game Technology. Retrieved from -information/news-room/news-releases.aspx?NewsID=1647893.
E-sport is a fast growing sector and important part of life for many young Europeans. In many video games, users purchase, sell or trade virtual accessories and decorative items for their online characters, also called skins, in exchange for virtual coins or real currency.
Unfortunately, some young gamers are subject to unreasonable taxes when selling these virtual accessories online. On several occasions in Denmark, users have been obliged to pay value added tax (VAT) for both the accumulated value of the skins and the profit they gain when they sell them. This is different from the sale of used items in real life, where VAT is only payable for the profit made. According to the Danish tax authorities; the reason is that virtual accessories, such as skins, are considered a service and not an item under EU tax law. This might also have consequences for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in the future.
need opinion on what you prefer as a virtual dj skin to use the rmx on. there are so many selections on the default program vj7 pro and i know more skins can be purchased. which skin do you prefer and why? also where to get it from if still available.
Smart textiles are making virtual reality more immersive and enabling wearers to experience the sensation of physical touch. An ultrathin film that can transmit touch sensations is able to turn textiles into a virtual second skin. For seriously ill children in hospital isolation wards, this new technology offers them the chance to feel the physical closeness of their parents during computer-simulated visits and to experience again the feeling of being held, hugged or cuddled.
A research team led by Professors Stefan Seelecke and Paul Motzki from Saarland University will be presenting the technology behind these smart textiles at Hannover Messe from 22 to 26 April (Hall 2, Stand B10).
A hand on a shoulder, the stroke of an arm or a simple hug: Human touch can bring calm, comfort and closeness, a sense of safety and of being protected. When the nerve cells in our skin are stimulated by touch, numerous parts of our brain are triggered, causing immediate changes in our body's biochemistry. Hormones and signaling molecules are released, including oxytocin, which creates a sense of well-being and bonding.
Video calls, on the other hand, tend to leave us cold. We miss the closeness and emotional connection that in-person meetings produce. But what happens when physical closeness is essential, when children are seriously ill, but their parents are unable to visit? When physical contact is not possible due to a weakened immune system?
An interdisciplinary research team at Saarland University, htw saar University of Applied Sciences, the Centre for Mechatronics and Automation Technology (ZeMA) and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) is working on a technology that will enable children in hospital isolation wards to feel in a very natural way the close physical proximity of their parents during virtual visits.
The "Multi-Immerse" project is at the interface of engineering science, neurotechnology, medicine and computer science and the members of the research team are developing ways to realize multi-sensory virtual encounters between individuals. The aim is to create new technology that will allow young patients to see, hear and feel their parents and siblings in as realistic a manner as possible so that the children experience a strong sense of close physical interaction even though they are physically separated.
The research group led by Professors Stefan Seelecke and Paul Motzki at Saarland University and ZeMA in Saarbrcken is responsible for the tactile side of the project and for creating technical systems that deliver a realistic sense of touch. The Saarbrcken engineers are experts in using thin silicone films to impart novel capabilities to surfaces.
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