Spaceballs workflow >

10. View the sampling results

Procedure

View the results using one of the following methods:

  • Click a set in the Probe Runs list to select it and click the View Results button. The Sampling Results window is displayed.
  • Click Display Probe Run List (use after running more than one probe if you want results from multiple probe runs). The Previous Stereological Runs window is displayed.
    1. From the list, highlight the probe runs of interest.
    2. To view results for an entire region of interest, CTRL-click to select all probe runs from the sections containing the region of interest. This will generate results for the entire structure, not just one section of the structure.

    3. Click View Results. The Sampling Results window is displayed.
    4. Click on a category in the left hand panel to display the corresponding results in the right hand panel.
    5. Optional: Click Export to export all results directly to Excel (2003 or later).

Interpretation

Results are generated for each individual marker type used for counting as well as for all markers combined. By default, the Sampling results window initially displays the estimated length laenndt gttohtal marker count for the first marker type used for counting. Click on other marker types in the left hand panel of the Sampling results window to see the corresponding results in the right hand panel.

Estimated length using user-defined section thickness

Calculated using a single value entered manually for the post-processed or “mounted” section thickness.

Because this estimate is generated with only one value for the section thickness, local variations in section thickness are not accounted for. As a result, this estimate should be considered the least accurate of the 4 available estimates. But if there is no section thickness variation (e.g., embedding protocols such as plastic embedding), reporting the Estimated length using user-defined section thickness is acceptable.

This value is typically entered manually, or calculated, in the Measure mounted thickness step of the workflow under the Manually enter the average mounted thickness method.

  • If you don't enter a value for Manually enter the average mounted thickness, the estimate equals zero.
  • To change the thickness value after the counting procedure, click the Edit Mounted Thickness button in the Sampling results window.

Estimated length using mean section thickness

If you didn't measure the thickness of sections while counting, this estimate is not calculated.

Calculated using the section thickness measurements recorded while counting.

These measurements are recorded in the Measure mounted thickness step of the workflow, after selecting Measure the mounted thickness while counting method.

The number of measurements used to calculate this estimate is based on the interval you entered (e.g., if you entered 2, you are prompted to set the top and bottom of the section at every other counting site). The measured thickness values from these sites are averaged to produce a mean measured thickness value used for the height sampling fraction calculation.

Because this estimate is generated from the mean of all obtained section thickness measurements, it is considered to be the most accurate estimate when measurements are not performed at every site.

Estimated length using mean section thickness with counts

If you didn't measure the thickness of sections while counting, this estimate is not calculated.

This estimate is a variation of Estimated length using mean section thickness.

Calculated using only the section thickness measurements made at counting sites that contain marked objects (in other words, section thickness measurements from counting sites with NO counted objects aren't included in the calculated average).

These measurements are recorded in Step 5 of the Spaceballs workflow after selecting Measure the mounted thickness while counting method.

In many cases, this estimate will be nearly identical to Estimated length using mean section thickness.

You may choose to use this value when :

  • You chose to ignore measuring the section thickness where there were no objects.
  • You made errors in section thickness measurement that were not corrected when there were no objects to be marked.

Estimated length using number weighted section thickness

Report this estimate when thickness was measured at every sampling site and when the section thickness varies dramatically across the sections that include the region of interest.

Calculated using only the section thickness measurements from counting sites that contain markers. These measured thickness values are then weighted by the number of objects associated with them to produce a weighted average.

The number weighted mean section thickness is reported in the Parameters , and is used to calculate the height sampling fraction.

All estimates calculated from measurements obtained while counting (i.e., all but Estimated length using user-defined section thickness) should return similar results if the measurements were taken correctly.

Sampling Results window

Displays the results of the probes selected in the Previous Stereological Runs window. Click on a category in the left hand panel to display the corresponding results in the right hand panel.

About Export to Excel

Results of all selected probe runs are exported directly to Excel (2003 or later). Each category in left hand panel of the Sampling results window is exported to a separate worksheet within a single Excel file.