This guide explains how to perform a Compartmentalization analysis.
It guides you how to set up a study focused on the interactions and of the relationships between compartments of the structure under evaluation.
Performing compartmentalization analysis
Overview
The Compartmentalization’ concept is strictly related to the studies of the interactions and of the relationship between the structure' compartments.
Complex hierarchies between the structures can be established and evaluated using this operator. Objects inside a parent structure can be selected, their position inside the main structure, as well as their distribution (clustering), and other features, can be evaluated. A child object can be a parent for other objects. The number of the available nested levels are, theoretically, unlimited.
In the example here above, The COMPARTMENTALIZATION is extended on 3 levels. The result is a hierarchical link between the Cell (Reference) and its nucleus (subject) . The nucleus is, in turn, related to the vesicles it contains. Finally, the vesicles count per cell is obtained.
The COMPARTMENTALIZATION’ analysis is not limited to the biological samples, even if this is the most common situation. Any structure located inside of a defined surrounding volume can be evaluated.
It is not mandatory that the parent object is a defined structure (E.G. Cell or Nucleus), it can be an anatomical region or, generally speaking, a sub-region of interest of the sample volume. These regions can be drawn both manually or using the interactive method.
The Compartmentalization’ approach is the base on which more complex and sophisticated evaluations can be performed.
The compartments operator
The Compartments Operator allows to set the structures hierarchy to be used to evaluate the relationships between levels. Several nested levels are possible as well as two or more compartments at the same hierarchical basis.