Automated 3-D Detection of Dendritic Spines from In Vivo Two-Photon Image Stacks.

Despite the significant advances in the development of automated image analysis algorithms for the detection and extraction of neuronal structures, current software tools still have numerous limitations when it comes to the detection and analysis of dendritic spines. The problem is especially challenging in in vivo imaging, where the difficulty of extracting morphometric properties of spines is compounded by lower image resolution and contrast levels native to two-photon laser microscopy. To address this challenge, we introduce a new computational framework for the automated detection and quantitative analysis of dendritic spines in vivo multi-photon imaging. This framework includes: (i) a novel preprocessing algorithm enhancing spines in a way that they are included in the binarized volume produced during the segmentation of foreground from background; (ii) the mathematical foundation of this algorithm, and (iii) an algorithm for the detection of spine locations in reference to centerline trace and separating them from the branches to whom spines are attached to. This framework enables the computation of a wide range of geometric features such as spine length, spatial distribution and spine volume in a high-throughput fashion. We illustrate our approach for the automated extraction of dendritic spine features in time-series multi-photon images of layer 5 cortical excitatory neurons from the mouse visual cortex.

Genetic deletion of fibroblast growth factor 14 recapitulates phenotypic alterations underlying cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia.

Cognitive processing is highly dependent on the functional integrity of gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) interneurons in the brain. These cells regulate excitability and synaptic plasticity of principal neurons balancing the excitatory/inhibitory tone of cortical networks. Reduced function of parvalbumin (PV) interneurons and disruption of GABAergic synapses in the cortical circuitry result in desynchronized network activity associated with cognitive impairment across many psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. However, the mechanisms underlying these complex phenotypes are still poorly understood. Here we show that in animal models, genetic deletion of fibroblast growth factor 14 (Fgf14), a regulator of neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission, leads to loss of PV interneurons in the CA1 hippocampal region, a critical area for cognitive function. Strikingly, this cellular phenotype associates with decreased expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) and vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) and also coincides with disrupted CA1 inhibitory circuitry, reduced in vivo gamma frequency oscillations and impaired working memory. Bioinformatics analysis of schizophrenia transcriptomics revealed functional co-clustering of FGF14 and genes enriched within the GABAergic pathway along with correlatively decreased expression of FGF14, PVALB, GAD67 and VGAT in the disease context. These results indicate that Fgf14(-/-) mice recapitulate salient molecular, cellular, functional and behavioral features associated with human cognitive impairment, and FGF14 loss of function might be associated with the biology of complex brain disorders such as schizophrenia.

Efficient processing of fluorescence images using directional multiscale representations.

Recent advances in high-resolution fluorescence microscopy have enabled the systematic study of morphological changes in large populations of cells induced by chemical and genetic perturbations, facilitating the discovery of signaling pathways underlying diseases and the development of new pharmacological treatments. In these studies, though, due to the complexity of the data, quantification and analysis of morphological features are for the vast majority handled manually, slowing significantly data processing and limiting often the information gained to a descriptive level. Thus, there is an urgent need for developing highly efficient automated analysis and processing tools for fluorescent images. In this paper, we present the application of a method based on the shearlet representation for confocal image analysis of neurons. The shearlet representation is a newly emerged method designed to combine multiscale data analysis with superior directional sensitivity, making this approach particularly effective for the representation of objects defined over a wide range of scales and with highly anisotropic features. Here, we apply the shearlet representation to problems of soma detection of neurons in culture and extraction of geometrical features of neuronal processes in brain tissue, and propose it as a new framework for large-scale fluorescent image analysis of biomedical data.

Is tubal rupture a discriminating factor in the surgical conservative treatment of ectopic pregnancy?

217 women have been submitted to a surgical intervention for ectopic pregnancy in the years 83 - 84 - 85 in five hospitals in Piedmont. The rupture has been observed in 147 cases (67%). The percentage of women who presented a rupture was higher among those who underwent annexiectomy (75%), average among those who underwent salpingectomy (69%) and lower in case of conservative intervention (52%). Owing to these rather high percentages, we cannot state that the rupture is a discriminating factor as far as it concerns the choice of intervention, even if a fairly more conservative orientation is evident in case of unruptured tube.

Ectopic pregnancy: which treatment? Analysis of 217 cases.

The Authors describe the various types of treatment performed on 217 cases of ectopic pregnancy examined, which took place in the years 1983 - 84 - 85 in five among the main Hospital in Piedmont. 136 salpingectomies (62%), 41 annexiectomies (18%), 40 conservative interventions (20%) were performed. In most cases the destructive intervention was performed in the presence of a tubal rupture; no meaningful relations between the location and the type of surgical treatment have been found in the ectopic pregnancy. Conservative interventions have been more frequent on young women (under 35: 97%) and desiring children either because nullipara (65%) or because uniparous (27%). The highest number of conservative interventions was performed in the largest of the five Hospitals examined (23 cases: 57%). There is therefore a remarkable relation between diagnostic and therapeutic means and the possibility of performing the surgery most appropriate to the specific requirements of each case.

Comparative evaluation of ectopic pregnancy surgical treatment between a specialized hospital and a general hospital.

The surgical approaches followed in cases of ectopic pregnancy by the operators in two centres in Piedmont, one specialized in ostetrics and gynecology, the other a general county hospital are taken into consideration and compared. 131 cases have been registered in Turin and 30 in Biella. The salpingectomy has been performed on most cases in both centres with 56.5% and 66% respectively in the specialized Hospital and in the General one. The annexiectomy has been chosen for 25%. The intervention aiming at preserving the tube has been chosen for 17.5% in Turin and 34% in Biella. The most discriminating factor in choosing the type of intervention is mainly based on the patient's amnestic history, and therefore on her age, parity, any preceeding tube intervention and also on her desire for children.