Quantifying the regeneration of bone tissue in biomedical images via Legendre moments

Artículo publicado en los proceedings del congresoWe investigate the use of Legendre moments as biomarkers for an efficient and accurate classification of bone tissue on images coming from stem cell regeneration studies. Regions of either existing bone, cartilage or new bone-forming cells are characterized at tile level to quantify the degree of bone regeneration depending on culture conditions. Legendre moments are analyzed from three different perspectives: (1) their discriminant properties in a wide set of preselected vectors of features based on our clinical and computational experience, providing solutions whose accuracy exceeds 90%. (2) the amount of information to be retained when using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to reduce the dimensionality of the problem from 2 to 6 dimensions. (3) the use of the (alpha-beta)-k-feature set problem to identify a k=4 number of features which are more relevant to our analysis from a combinatorial optimization approach. These techniques are compared in terms of computational complexity and classification accuracy to assess the strengths and limitations of the use of Legendre moments for this biomedical image processing application.Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

The role of nutrition in the development of esophageal cancer: What do we know?

Cancer of the esophagus is the eighth most common cancer by incidence worldwide and ranks sixth as the most common cause of cancer death. It is unique among the gastrointestinal tract malignancies because it embodies two distinct histopatologic types, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Which type of cancer occurs in a given patient or predominates in a given geographic area depends on many variables, including individual lifestyle, socioeconomic pressures, environmental factors and diet and nutrition. Generally for both squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus case-control studies provide evidence of a protective effect of fruits and vegetables. Here we review the role of nutrition in the etiology of esophageal cancer

Prognostic role of endocarditis in isolated tricuspid valve surgery. A propensity-weighted study

Objectives: The role of the underlying etiology in isolated tricuspid valve surgery has not been investigated extensively in current literature. Aim of this study was to analyse outcomes of patients undergoing surgery due to endocarditis compared to other pathologies. Methods: The SURTRI study is a multicenter study enrolling adult patients who underwent isolated tricuspid valve surgery (n = 406, 55 ± 16 y.o.; 56% female) at 13 international sites. Propensity weighted analysis was performed to compare groups (IE group n = 107 vs Not-IE group n = 299). Results: No difference was found regarding the 30-day mortality (Group IE: 2.8% vs Group Not-IE = 6.8%; OR = 0.45) and major adverse events. Weighted cumulative incidence of cardiac death was significantly higher for patients with endocarditis (p = 0.01). The composite endpoint of cardiac death and reoperation at 6 years was reduced in the Group IE (63.2 ± 6.8% vs 78.9 ± 3.1%; p = 0.022). Repair strategy resulted in an increased late survival even in IE cases. Conclusions: Data from SURTRI study report acceptable 30-day results but significantly reduced late survival in the setting of endocarditis of the tricuspid valve. Multi-disciplinary approach, repair strategy and earlier treatment may improve outcomes. Keywords: Endocarditis; Isolated tricuspid valve disease; Tricuspid valve

Molecular diagnosis of pancreatic cancer: where do we stand?

Pancreatic cancer remains a disease with a dismal prognosis due mostly to its late diagnosis. An early diagnosis would have a significant impact on the prognosis and, eventually, on the incidence of the disease itself. Many progresses have been made in the molecular diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. High risk patients would likely benefits from biologic screening, before the general population. Most of the markers remain limited to phase I and II studies. The challenges include the lack of specificity of some of the markers, as well as the lack of standardization within the laboratories. Further research is necessary prior to the application of the currently known biomarkers for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

Transmigration of mandibular second premolar in a patient with cleft lip and palate: case report

Disturbances involving abnormalities in tooth eruption are named ectopia. Transmigration is the name assigned to ectopia in the presence of teeth in areas distant from the alveolar process. Initial angulation of the tooth bud of the second premolar and premature loss of permanent mandibular 1st molars can influence the distal migration of the second premolar. Some studies have observed that ectopic teeth can be found in a variety of places around the oral cavity and also in other areas of the human body. There are records of teeth in the maxillary sinus, mandibular condyle, coronoid process, mandibular angle, orbit, palate, mentum and also the skin. The prevalence of tooth abnormalities is higher in children with cleft lip and palate compared to children without clefts. This paper presents a case report of migration of the mandibular left second premolar in a patient attending the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies of the University of São Paulo (HRAC/USP), Brazil. Migration of the mandibular left 2nd premolar was confirmed by 8 panoramic and 1 periapical radiographs obtained during patient's treatment between 1978 and 2002, which were available in the files of the Department of Dental Radiology of HRAC/USP. It can be assumed that distal migration of the mandibular left 2nd premolar is not associated with presence of cleft lip and palate; observation of these two events in a same patient is rare, since no similar reported cases were found in the literature

Biological and clinical markers in colorectal cancer: state of the art.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the World's third most common cancer. Its prognosis is closely related to the disease stage at the time of diagnosis. Here we review the role of clinical biomarkers (tissue, serum, and faecal) in the management of CRC. Molecular studies have recently widened the opportunity for testing new possible markers, but actually, only few markers can be recommended for practical use in clinic. In the next future the hope is to have a complete panel of clinical biomarkers to use in every setting of CRC disease, and at the same time: 1) to receive information about prognostic significance by their expression and 2) to be oriented in the choice of the adequate treatment

Strong correlation between diet and development of colorectal cancer.

Multiple factors have been described among the causes of non-hereditary colorectal cancer. In Western countries, the most common risk factors include upper-middle socioeconomic status and dietary regimens rich in proteins and animal fats. High consumption of red meats, smoked foods, cold cuts, or canned foods is believed to contribute to carcinogenesis as they directly affect epithlial turnover and cause metabolism of biliary acids. Dietary fibers have protective effects in that they capture the fats and biliary acids, thereby inhibiting their activity. Tobacco smoking acts both locally and systemically on the colorectal mucosa through the production of carcinogenic agents. Finally, the action of alcohol, in association with nicotine addiction, also increases the risk of developing colorectal tumors. Knowledge of dietary and environmental factors is of paramount importance in implementing preventive strategies for colorectal cancer

Sutureless and rapid deployment implantation in bicuspid aortic valve: results from the sutureless and rapid-deployment aortic valve replacement international registry.

Background Benefits of sutureless and rapid deployment (SURD) bioprostheses in bicuspid aortic valves (BAV) are controversial. The aim of this study is to report the outcomes of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) for BAV from the Sutureless and Rapid-Deployment Aortic Valve Replacement International Registry (SURD-IR). Methods Of the 4,636 patients who received primary isolated SURD-AVR between 2007 and 2018, 191 (4.1%) BAV patients underwent AVR with SURD valve. Results Overall 30-day mortality was 1.6%. The Intuity valve was implanted in 53.9% of cases, whereas the Perceval was implanted in 46.1%. Rate of stroke for isolated AVR was 4.2%. No case of endocarditis, thromboembolism, myocardial infarction, valve dislocation or structural valve deterioration was reported in the early phase. Rate of pacemaker implantation and moderate-severe aortic regurgitation (AR) were 7.9% and 3.7%, respectively. Conclusions BAV is not considered a contraindication for the implantation of SURD valves. However, detailed information of aortic root geometry as well as the knowledge of some technical considerations are mandatory for a good outcome