Denoising and enhancement of mammographic images under the assumption of heteroscedastic additive noise by an optimal subband thresholding

Mammographic images suffer from low contrast and signal dependent noise, and a very small size of tumoral signs is not easily detected, especially for an early diagnosis of breast cancer. In this context, many methods proposed in literature fail for lack of generality. In particular, too weak assumptions on the noise model, e.g., stationary normal additive noise, and an inaccurate choice of the wavelet family that is applied, can lead to an information loss, noise emphasizing, unacceptable enhancement results, or in turn an unwanted distortion of the original image aspect. In this paper, we consider an optimal wavelet thresholding, in the context of Discrete Dyadic Wavelet Transforms, by directly relating all the parameters involved in both denoising and contrast enhancement to signal dependent noise variance (estimated by a robust algorithm) and to the size of cancer signs. Moreover, by performing a reconstruction from a zero-approximation in conjunction with a Gaussian smoothing filter, we are able to extract the background and the foreground of the image separately, as to compute suitable contrast improvement indexes. The whole procedure will be tested on high resolution X-ray mammographic images and compared with other techniques. Anyway, the visual assessment of the results by an expert radiologist will be also considered as a subjective evaluation

Subpopulations of anti-β2glycoprotein I antibodies with different pathogenic potential: fine specificity against the domains of β2glycoprotein I

Objective: Anti-β2glycoprotein I antibodies (a-β2GPI) are a laboratory criterion for the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and were demonstrated to be involved in the pathogenesis of APS. However, they can also be detected in asymptomatic subjects. It has been suggested that a-β2GPI against Domain1 (D1) associate with thrombosis, while those recognizing Domain4/5 (D4/5) have been identified in non-thrombotic conditions. We evaluate the specificity of a- β2GPI in different clinical situations. Methods: We studied 39 one-year-old healthy children born to mothers with systemic autoimmune diseases (SAD) (15 (38.4%) were born to mothers who were a-β2GPI positive), 33 children with atopic dermatitis (AD) and 55 patients with APS (50 adults and 5 paediatrics). All subjects were IgG a-β2GPI positive. IgG a-β2GPI were performed by homemade ELISA, while IgG a-β2GPI D1 and D4/5 were tested on research ELISAs containing recombinant β2GPI domains antigens. Results: One-year-old children and AD children displayed preferential reactivity for D4/5; patients with APS recognized preferentially D1. We also found a good correlation between a-β2GPI and D4/5 in one-year-old (r=0.853) and AD children (r=0.879) and between a-β2GPI and D1 in the APS group (r=0.575). No thrombotic events were recorded in both groups of children. Conclusions: A-β2GPI found in non-thrombotic conditions (healthy children born to mothers with SAD and AD children) mostly recognize D4/5, in contrast to the prevalent specificity for D1 in the APS group. The different specificity could at least partially explain the "innocent" profile of a-β2GPI in children

Order-of-magnitude speedup for steady states and traveling waves via Stokes preconditioning in Channelflow and Openpipeflow

Steady states and traveling waves play a fundamental role in understanding hydrodynamic problems. Even when unstable, these states provide the bifurcation-theoretic explanation for the origin of the observed states. In turbulent wall-bounded shear flows, these states have been hypothesized to be saddle points organizing the trajectories within a chaotic attractor. These states must be computed with Newton's method or one of its generalizations, since time-integration cannot converge to unstable equilibria. The bottleneck is the solution of linear systems involving the Jacobian of the Navier-Stokes or Boussinesq equations. Originally such computations were carried out by constructing and directly inverting the Jacobian, but this is unfeasible for the matrices arising from three-dimensional hydrodynamic configurations in large domains. A popular method is to seek states that are invariant under numerical time integration. Surprisingly, equilibria may also be found by seeking flows that are invariant under a single very large Backwards-Euler Forwards-Euler timestep. We show that this method, called Stokes preconditioning, is 10 to 50 times faster at computing steady states in plane Couette flow and traveling waves in pipe flow. Moreover, it can be carried out using Channelflow (by Gibson) and Openpipeflow (by Willis) without any changes to these popular spectral codes. We explain the convergence rate as a function of the integration period and Reynolds number by computing the full spectra of the operators corresponding to the Jacobians of both methods.Comment: in Computational Modelling of Bifurcations and Instabilities in Fluid Dynamics, ed. Alexander Gelfgat (Springer, 2018

Neuromotor Changes in Participants with a Concussion History can be Detected with a Custom Smartphone App

Neuromotor dysfunction after a concussion is common, but balance tests used to assess neuromotor dysfunction are typically subjective. Current objective balance tests are either cost- or space-prohibitive, or utilize a static balance protocol, which may mask neuromotor dysfunction due to the simplicity of the task. To address this gap, our team developed an Android-based smartphone app (portable and cost-effective) that uses the sensors in the device (objective) to record movement profiles during a stepping-in-place task (dynamic movement). The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which our custom smartphone app and protocol could discriminate neuromotor behavior between concussed and non-concussed participants. Data were collected at two university laboratories and two military sites. Participants included civilians and Service Members (N = 216) with and without a clinically diagnosed concussion. Kinematic and variability metrics were derived from a thigh angle time series while the participants completed a series of stepping-in-place tasks in three conditions: eyes open, eyes closed, and head shake. We observed that the standard deviation of the mean maximum angular velocity of the thigh was higher in the participants with a concussion history in the eyes closed and head shake conditions of the stepping-in-place task. Consistent with the optimal movement variability hypothesis, we showed that increased movement variability occurs in participants with a concussion history, for which our smartphone app and protocol were sensitive enough to capture

SAT0368 PREGNANCY IN WOMEN WITH SPONDYLOARTHRITIS: WHO ARE THE PATIENTS AT RISK OF DISEASE FLARE?

Background:Patients with Spondyloarthritis (SpA) can experience flares during pregnancy and postpartum even though the available data are limited and not conclusive.Objectives:To assess disease activity and treatment modification during pregnancy and postpartum in patients with SpA and to identify risk factors for disease flare.Methods:Data on SpA pregnancies prospectively-followed in a pregnancy clinic from 2010 to 2019 were retrospectively analysed. Disease activity was assessed during each trimester and postpartum using ASDAS-CRP or DAS28-CRP. Flare was defined as an increase of disease activity leading to treatment modification (introduction or increase ≥5mg/day of prednisone, introduction of cDMARD or bDMARD)1.Results:Data on 50 pregnancies in 46 patients were collected (mean age at conception 33±4.7 years; median disease duration: 60 months (IQR 24-132); 33 psoriatic arthritis, 6 axialSpA, 2 reactive arthritis, 2 IBD-related SpA; 6 undifferentiated SpA, 1 juvenile idiopathic arthritis). Six pregnancies ended in miscarriage, so they weren't considered for the analysis of flares during pregnancy (table 1). Fifteen out of 44 (34%) pregnancies had at least one flare during pregnancy (6, 7 and 4 during 1st, 2ndand 3rdtrimester respectively; 2 pregnancies had multiple flares). A higher rate of flare was observed in pregnancies of patients with axial involvement (p=0.01), on treatment with bDMARDs at preconceptional visit (p=0.03) and who stopped TNFi at positive pregnancy test (p=0.03). Peripheral involvement was associated with a lower rate of flares (p=0.02). Medications resumed during pregnancy were steroids (in 6 pregnancies), cDMARDs (2 sulfasalazine, 1 cyclosporine) and bDMARDs (4 certolizumab, 4 etanercept). During postpartum period flares were recorded in 46% of patients.Table 1.clinical features, medication and disease activity in pregnancies with flare vs without flareCLINICAL FEATURESFLARE (15)NO FLARE (29)pAxial involvement, n (%)11/15 (73)9/29 (31)0.01Peripheral arthritis, n (%)8/15 (53)26/29 (90)0.02Enthesitis, n (%)5/15 (33)14/29 (48)nsDactilitis, n (%)3/15 (20)8/29 (28)nsPsoriasis, n (%)6/15 (40)17/29 (59)nsIBD, n (%)2/15 (13)0nsUveitis, n(%)1/15 (7)3/29 (10)nsHLAB27 +7/11 (64)5/12 (42)nsMEDICATION HISTORYbDMARDs, n (%)11/15 (73)7/29 (24)0.003bDMARDs at preconception visit, n (%)8/15 (53)6/29 (21)0.04bDMARDs stopped at positive pregnancy test, n (%)7/15 (47)4/29 (14)0.03cDMARDs, n (%)12/15 (80)25/29 (86)nsDISEASE ACTIVITYACTIVE DISEASE* preconception visit, n(%)3/14 (21)4/23 (17)nsACTIVE DISEASE 1sttrimester, n(%)6/15 (40)1/29 (3)0.004ACTIVE DISEASE 2ndtrimester, n(%)8/15 (47)2/29 (7)0.001ACTIVE DISEASE 3rdtrimester, n(%)2/15 (13)1/29 (3)ns*DAS28-CRP>3.2 or ASDAS-CRP≥2.1Conclusion:In our cohort of prospectively-followed SpA pregnancies, 34% experienced a flare during pregnancy and 46% during postpartum. Flares occurred especially in those patients who discontinued TNFi early in pregnancy and with axial involvement. When resumed during pregnancy, TNFi was able to control the disease. At preconception counselling, the continuation of TNFi during pregnancy should be considered to ensure a better control of disease.References:[1]Fischer-Betz R et al.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015; 67.Disclosure of Interests: :None declare

Nucleosynthesis Calculations for the Ejecta of Neutron Star Coalescences

We present the results of fully dynamical r-process network calculations for the ejecta of neutron star mergers (NSMs). The late stages of the inspiral and the final violent coalescence of a neutron star binary have been calculated in detail using a 3D hydrodynamics code (Newtonian gravity plus backreaction forces emerging from the emission of gravitational waves) and a realistic nuclear equation of state. The found trajectories for the ejecta serve as input for dynamical r-process calculations where all relevant nuclear reactions (including beta-decays depositing nuclear energy in the expanding material) are followed. We find that all the ejected material undergoes r-process. For an initial Ye close to 0.1 the abundance distributions reproduce very accurately the solar r-process pattern for nuclei with A above 130. For lighter nuclei strongly underabundant (as compared to solar) distributions are encountered. We show that this behaviour is consistent with the latest observations of very old, metal-poor stars, despite simplistic arguments that have recently been raised against the possibility of NSM as possible sources of Galactic r-process material.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, proceedings of Nuclei in the Cosmos 2000, to be published in Nucl. Phys. A; minor correctio

Acute cardiac injury after subarachnoid haemorrhage: two case reports

It is well known that cardiopulmonary complications are often associated to subarachnoid haemorrhage. For appropriate therapeutic managing it is very important to distinguish acute coronary syndrome from neurogenic myocardial injury, which is a reversible condition. Furthermore, because the hearts of brain dead patients may be utilized for therapeutic purpose, it has became of importance to rule out erroneous diagnosis of cardiac ischemia in order to avoid rejection of hearts potential suitable for transplantation