Speckle based sensing device for fast detection of malaria
We propose a new technique for malaria detection. It is based upon extraction of correlation based statistics of speckle patterns generated while illuminating red blood cells with a laser and inspecting them under a microscope.
Toward fast malaria detection by secondary speckle sensing microscopy
Diagnosis of malaria must be rapid, accurate, simple to use, portable and low cost, as suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO). Despite recent efforts, the gold standard remains the light microscopy of a stained blood film. This method can detect low parasitemia and identify different species of Plasmodium. However, it is time consuming, it requires well trained microscopist and good instrumentation to minimize misinterpretation, thus the costs are considerable. Moreover, the equipment cannot be easily transported and installed. In this paper we propose a new technique named "secondary speckle sensing microscopy" ((SM)-M-3) based upon extraction of correlation based statistics of s…
The prolyl-isomerase PIN1 is essential for nuclear Lamin-B structure and function and protects heterochromatin under mechanical stress.
Summary: Chromatin organization plays a crucial role in tissue homeostasis. Heterochromatin relaxation and consequent unscheduled mobilization of transposable elements (TEs) are emerging as key contributors of aging and aging-related pathologies, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cancer. However, the mechanisms governing heterochromatin maintenance or its relaxation in pathological conditions remain poorly understood. Here we show that PIN1, the only phosphorylation-specific cis/trans prolyl isomerase, whose loss is associated with premature aging and AD, is essential to preserve heterochromatin. We demonstrate that this PIN1 function is conserved from Drosophila to humans and prevents…
Novel image processing approach to detect malaria
In this paper we present a novel image processing algorithm providing good preliminary capabilities for in vitro detection of malaria. The proposed concept is based upon analysis of the temporal variation of each pixel. Changes in dark pixels mean that inter cellular activity happened, indicating the presence of the malaria parasite inside the cell. Preliminary experimental results involving analysis of red blood cells being either healthy or infected with malaria parasites, validated the potential benefit of the proposed numerical approach. S.F. acknowledges the grant from Area Science Park of Trieste. J.G. acknowledges the support he got from project FIS2013-47548-P. D.M. and B.F. acknowl…