Morphological Estimation of Cellularity on Neo-Adjuvant Treated Breast Cancer Histological Images

This paper describes a methodology that extracts key morphological features from histological breast cancer images in order to automatically assess Tumour Cellularity (TC) in Neo-Adjuvant treatment (NAT) patients. The response to NAT gives information on therapy efficacy and it is measured by the residual cancer burden index, which is composed of two metrics: TC and the assessment of lymph nodes. The data consist of whole slide images (WSIs) of breast tissue stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) released in the 2019 SPIE Breast Challenge. The methodology proposed is based on traditional computer vision methods (K-means, watershed segmentation, Otsu’s binarisation, and morphological operations), implementing colour separation, segmentation, and feature extraction. Correlation between morphological features and the residual TC after a NAT treatment was examined. Linear regression and statistical methods were used and twenty-two key morphological parameters from the nuclei, epithelial region, and the full image were extracted. Subsequently, an automated TC assessment that was based on Machine Learning (ML) algorithms was implemented and trained with only selected key parameters. The methodology was validated with the score assigned by two pathologists through the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). The selection of key morphological parameters improved the results reported over other ML methodologies and it was very close to deep learning methodologies. These results are encouraging, as a traditionally-trained ML algorithm can be useful when limited training data are available preventing the use of deep learning approaches

Estimation of cellularity in tumours treated with Neoadjuvant therapy: A comparison of Machine Learning algorithms

This paper describes a method for residual tumour cellularity (TC) estimation in Neoadjuvant treatment (NAT) of advanced breast cancer. This is determined manually by visual inspection by a radiologist, then an automated computation will contribute to reduce time workload and increase precision and accuracy. TC is estimated as the ratio of tumour area by total image area estimated after the NAT. The method proposed computes TC by using machine learning techniques trained with information on morphological parameters of segmented nuclei in order to classify regions of the image as tumour or normal. The data is provided by the 2019 SPIE Breast challenge, which was proposed to develop automated TC computation algorithms. Three algorithms were implemented: Support Vector Machines, Nearest K-means and Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost) decision trees. Performance based on accuracy is compared and evaluated and the best result was obtained with Support Vector Machines. Results obtained by the methods implemented were submitted during ongoing challenge with a maximum of 0.76 of prediction probability of success

Policies to Support Businesses through the COVID-19 Shock: A Firm Level Perspective

Relying on a novel dataset covering more than 120,000 firms in 60 countries, this paper contributes to the debate about policies to support businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic. While governments around the world have implemented a wide range of policy support measures, evidence on the reach of these policies, the alignment of measures with firm needs, and their targeting and effectiveness remains scarce. This paper provides the most comprehensive assessment to date of these issues, focusing primarily on developing economies. It shows that policy reach has been limited, especially for more vulnerable firms and countries, and identifies mismatches between policies provided and policies most sought. It also provides some indicative evidence regarding mistargeting of policies and their effectiveness in addressing liquidity constraints and preventing layoffs. This assessment provides some early guidance to policymakers on tailoring their COVID-19 business support packages and points to new directions in data and research efforts needed to guide policy responses to the current pandemic and future crises

Agronomic biofortification with selenium improves the yield and nutraceutical quality in tomato under soilless conditions

Selenium (Se) is an essential element for humans. Its consumption comes from food of animal or vegetal origin; whose content varies widely depending on its availability in soil or anthropogenic sources. Biofortification improves food nutritional quality, and its consumption has a positive influence in human health. Thus, the objective of this research was to assess agricultural biofortification with Se in tomato fruit and its effects on yield, nutraceutical quality, and antioxidant capacity.  Five Se doses (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 mg L-1) in the form of sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) were added in a nutritional solution in a hydroponic system.  The results obtained indicated that agricultural biofortification with Se applied in the nutritional solution improved yield, nutraceutical quality, and Se concentration in tomato fruit. The optimum Se dose that maximized yield and nutraceutical quality, as well as the recommended consumption concentration in tomato fruit in this study was 2 mg L-1 (Na2SeO4) because higher doses decreased yield and bioactive compound biosynthesis. Incorporating Se in the nutritional solution is an alternative to increase phytochemical compound biosynthesis in tomato fruit and yield with the possibility of improving public health with its consumption

Obtaining cloud top height from WRF model vertical profiles: application to the EUSO program

The objective of the Extreme Universe Space Observatory (EUSO) program is detection and measurement of high-energy particles that reach earth?s atmosphere from space. Clouds at mid and upper levels of the troposphere can interfere with such detection. Therefore, determining cloud top height with high accuracy is crucial to estimating the effect of clouds on these measurements.With this aim, we developed a method to extract that height using cloud temperature via vertical profiles predicted by the WRF model

Prevalence of severe/morbid obesity and other weight status and anthropometric reference standards in Spanish preschool children: The PREFIT project

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity has become a major health problem in children under the age of 5 years. Providing reference standards would help paediatricians to detect and/or prevent health problems related to both low and high levels of body mass and to central adiposity later in life. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of different weight status categories and to provide sex- and age-specific anthropometry reference standards for Spanish preschool children. METHODS: A total of 3178 preschool children (4.59±0.87 years old) participated in this study. Prevalence of different degrees of obesity (mild, severe, and morbid) and other weight status categories were determined. RESULTS: Reference standards were obtained. Prevalence of overweight and obese preschool children in the Spanish population ranged from 21.4 to 34.8%. Specifically, the obesity prevalence was 3.5, 1.2, and 1.3% of these subjects were categorized as mild, severe, and morbid obese. Sex- and age-specific reference standards for anthropometric parameters are provided for every 0.25 years (i.e. every trimester of life). CONCLUSION: Our results show a high prevalence of overweight/obese preschoolers. The provided sex- and age-specific anthropometric reference standards could help paediatricians to track and monitor anthropometric changes at this early stage in order to prevent overweight/obesity.We thank the participation of the preschoolers, parents, and teachers in this study. We are grateful to Ms. Carmen Sainz-Quinn for assistance with the English language. This work is part of a Ph.D. Thesis conducted in the Biomedicine Doctoral Studies of the University of Granada, Spain. The PREFIT project takes place owing to the funding of the Ramón y Cajal grant held by FBO (RYC-2011-09011). C.C.-S. is supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BES-2014-068829). E.G.A. and F.B.O. are supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (RYC-2014-16390 and RYC-2011-09011, respectively). C.A.-B., A.P.-B., and G.S.-D. are supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education (FPU13/03137, FPU15/ 05337, and FPU13/04365, respectively). Additional funding was obtained from the University of Granada, Plan Propio de Investigación 2016, Excellence actions: Units of Excellence; Unit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES) and by the Junta de Andalucia, Consejería de Conocimiento, Investigación y Universidades. In addition, funding was provided by the SAMID III network, RETICS, the PN I+D+I 2017-2021 (Spain), ISCIII-Sub-Directorate General for Research Assessment and Promotion, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (RD16/0022, SOMM17/6107/UGR), the EXERNET Research Network on Exercise and Health in Special Populations (DEP2005- 00046/ACTI), the University of the Basque Country (GIU14/21), and the University of Zaragoza (JIUZ-2014-BIO-08)

Oral health service utilization by elderly beneficiaries of the Mexican Institute of Social Security in México city

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aging population poses a challenge to Mexican health services. The aim of this study is to describe recent oral health services utilization and its association with socio-demographic characteristics and co-morbidity in Mexican Social Security beneficiaries 60 years and older.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A sample of 700 individuals aged 60+ years was randomly chosen from the databases of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS). These participants resided in the southwest of Mexico City and made up the final sample of a cohort study for identifying risk factors for root caries in elderly patients. Sociodemographic variables, presence of cognitive decline, depression, morbidity, medication consumption, and utilization of as well as reasons for seeking oral health services within the past 12 months were collected through a questionnaire. Clinical oral assessments were carried out to determine coronal and root caries experience.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The sample consisted of 698 individuals aged 71.6 years on average, of whom 68.3% were women. 374 participants (53.6%) had made use of oral health services within the past 12 months. 81% of those who used oral health services sought private medical care, 12.8% sought social security services, and 6.2% public health services. 99.7% had experienced coronal caries and 44.0% root caries. Female sex (OR = 2.0), 6 years' schooling or less (OR = 1.4), and caries experience in more than 22 teeth (OR = 0.6) are factors associated with the utilization of these services.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>About half the elderly beneficiaries of social security have made use of oral health services within the past 12 months, and many of them have to use private services. Being a woman, having little schooling, and low caries experience are factors associated with the use of these services.</p

A prospective study of nutrition education and oral nutritional supplementation in patients with Alzheimer's disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Weight loss in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common clinical manifestation that may have clinical significance.</p> <p>Objectives</p> <p>To evaluate if there is a difference between nutrition education and oral nutritional supplementation on nutritional status in patients with AD.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A randomized, prospective 6-month study which enrolled 90 subjects with probable AD aged 65 years or older divided into 3 groups: Control Group (CG) [n = 27], Education Group (EG) [n = 25], which participated in an education program and Supplementation Group (SG) [n = 26], which received two daily servings of oral nutritional supplementation. Subjects were assessed for anthropometric data (weight, height, BMI, TSF, AC and AMC), biochemical data (total protein, albumin, and total lymphocyte count), CDR (Clinical Dementia Rating), MMSE (Mini-mental state examination), as well as dependence during meals.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The SG showed a significant improvement in the following anthropometric measurements: weight (H calc = 22.12, p =< 0.001), BMI (H calc = 22.12, p =< 0.001), AC (H calc = 12.99, p =< 0.002), and AMC (H calc = 8.67, p =< 0.013) compared to the CG and EG. BMI of the EG was significantly greater compared to the CG. There were significant changes in total protein (H calc = 6.17, p =< 0.046), and total lymphocyte count in the SG compared to the other groups (H cal = 7.94, p = 0.019).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Oral nutritional supplementation is more effective compared to nutrition education in improving nutritional status.</p