OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to propose a method that automatically select the trabecular bone area in digital periapical radiographic images using a sequence of morphological operations. METHODS: The study involved 50 digital periapical radiographic images of women aged from 36 to 58 years old. The proposed method consists of three stages: teeth detection, trabecular identification, and validation. A series of morphological operations-top-hat and bottom-hat filtering, automatic thresholding, closing, labeling, global thresholding, and image subtraction-are performed to automatically obtain the trabecular bone area in images. For validation, the results of the proposed method were compared with those of two dentists pixel by pixel. Three parameters were used in the validation: trabecular area, percentage of agreed area, and percentage of disagreed area. RESULTS: The proposed method obtains the trabecular bone area in a polygon. The obtained trabecular bone area is usually larger than that of previous studies, but is usually smaller than the dentists'. On average over all images, the trabecular area produced by the proposed method is 5.83% smaller than that identified by dentists. Furthermore, the average percentage of agreed area and the average percentage of disagreed area of the proposed method against the dentists' results were 75.22% and 8.75%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The shape of the trabecular bone area produced by the proposed method is similar and closer to that identified by dentists. The method, which consists of only simple morphological operations on digital periapical radiographic images, can be considered for selecting the trabecular bone area automatically.
Dentists ; Female ; Humans ; Image Enhancement ; Methods ; Radiography ; Tooth

BACKGROUND: Ethanol gelation test (EGT) is one of the paracoagulation test used to detect the activation of coagulation and formation of fibrin monomer complexes in the fibrinolytic process. Many patients with infectious diseases such as dengue haemorrhagic fever can develop disseminated intravacular coagulation (DIC), which should be diagnosed properly as soon as possible for the management of the patients. To diagnose the coagulation activation and DIC usually the laboratory has to perform the coagulation test, including fibrinopeptide A and D-dimer test. Many laboratories in rural areas in Indonesia do not have the facilities to do such test, and the cost will not be affordable by most of the patients. The aim for the study is to evaluate the EGT as a screening test to detect coagulation activation and DIC, the correlation of D-dimer and EGT. Method: Sixty citrated plasma were obtained from patients in Clinical Pathology Laboratory Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital for D-dimer test. D-dimer were performed using Nycard Kit with cut off point of 300 ng/dl. The EGT were performed using the method described by Breen. Positive test could be observed by the clot formation. RESULTS: The result of the within-run test for normal and abnormal plasma for EGT showed good results. The plasma was stalell until day 22. The EGT was positive for all the plasma with D-dimer >700 ng/ml. The sensitivity for EGT was 81.6%, specificity 81.8%, positive predictive value 95.2% and negative predictive value 50%. Conclusion: EGT could be used as a screening test for thrombin activity in coagulation activation in rural laboratories with minimal facilities.
Communicable Diseases ; Dacarbazine ; Dengue ; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation* ; Ethanol* ; Fever ; Fibrin ; Fibrinopeptide A ; Humans ; Indonesia ; Mass Screening ; Pathology, Clinical ; Plasma ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thrombin

Aims: Tryptamine is an amine compound derived from tryptophan by decarboxylation process. This compound can be found in fermented food and beverages, and in human gut and skin as well. This study aims to investigate the effect of tryptamine, on Gram-negative bacteria, namely Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methodology and results: In this study, we used E. coli, S. marcescens and P. aeruginosa due to their relatively observable quorum sensing-regulated phenotype, such as motility, prodigiosin and pyocyanin sequentially. Our results showed that tryptamine started to inhibit the growth and prodigiosin production of S. marcescens at concentration 250 μg/mL, while it inhibits the growth and pyocyanin production of P. aeruginosa at concentration 250 μg/mL and 500 μg/mL, respectively. Tryptamine inhibits both the growth and motility of E. coli at concentration 100 μg/mL. Conclusion, significance and impact of study These results suggest that tryptamine is able to inhibit the growth of E. coli, S. marcescens and P. aeruginosa at relatively high concentration, thus decreases the quorum sensing-regulated phenotypes. It implies that the growth and quorum sensing of Gram-negative bacteria most likely will not be affected by the low concentration of tryptamine that present in the gut.
Tryptamines ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; Serratia marcescens ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Escherichia coli

Aims: Antimicrobial compounds are bioactive compounds that have ability to inhibit microbial growth activities. This study aimed to screen and identify bacteria associated with Haliclona sp. sponges from Enggano Island, Indonesia that had potential to produce antimicrobial compounds against Escherichia coli, Candida albicans and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Methodology and results: The method used to screen and identify bacteria in this study including screening assay, morphological identification, Gram staining and spore staining method, biochemical tests and molecular identification based on 16S rRNA gene. This study resulted 16 isolates which were successfully isolated from Haliclona sp. According to screening assay, 5 isolates could potentially produce antimicrobial compounds coded as HEBS1, HEBS3, HEBS6, HEBB2 and HEBB3. Based on Gram staining, spore staining, biochemical test and molecular identification results, HEBS1 had proximity to Brachybacterium paraconglomeratum, HEBS3 had proximity to Kocuria palustris, HEBS6 had proximity to Psychrobacter pasificensis, HEBB2 had proximity to Bacillus aryabhattai, and HEBB3 had proximity to Bacillus toyonensis. Conclusion, significance and impact of study From 16 isolates that successfully isolated, there were 5 isolates that could potentially produce antimicrobial compounds against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Candida albicans. These isolates can be served as antimicrobial compounds producer. However, identification and purification of these antimicrobial compounds are needed to be done before applied it for medicine in the future.
Haliclona--microbiology ; Host-Pathogen Interactions