Computer-assisted automatic quantification (CAQ) was developed as an alternative method for the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis in order to compensate for observer-dependent bias. Here, we aim to demonstrate that CAQ can provide an accurate and precise result in analysis of fatty content, but that it is inappropriate to validate CAQ by comparison with conventional pathologist estimation (PE). Male rats were fed with a methionine-choline-deficient plus high-fat diet for three days, one week, or two weeks to induce mild, moderate, or severe steatosis. Samples were collected from all liver lobes. Severity of hepatic steatosis was assessed by an experienced pathologist who estimated the percentage of hepatocytes containing lipid droplets. Fatty content was quantified by PE, CAQ, and biochemical analysis (BA). CAQ, PE, and BA can correctly reflect severe fatty change. However, in the case of mild and moderate steatosis, PE could not reflect the true fatty content ( r between PE and BA was <0). The result of CAQ correlated well with that of BA among the various degrees of severity of hepatic steatosis. In conclusion, due to a difference between event-based and surface-based analysis, it is inappropriate to validate the CAQ of hepatic steatosis by comparison with PE.

Methods of red-hot rod shape testing require a robust non-contact measurement principle as a touch point could lead to damages to the rod and the detection unit. Therefore a new basic approach based on high frequency eddy current (HFEC) has been investigated. Due to the robustness and the ability to determine the rod shape even above the Curie temperature this principle is especially well suited and can be implemented in the production process directly. The first automatic measurement setup was successfully developed with promising results. Hereby a defect of ovality was detected with a parallel RLC-oscillator. The capacity of this RLC-oscillator is constant whereas the inductance is the measurement part that varies due to eddy current interactions with the rod.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract