Feasibility of Colon Cancer Detection in Confocal Laser Microscopy Images Using Convolution Neural Networks

Histological evaluation of tissue samples is a typical approach to identify colorectal cancer metastases in the peritoneum. For immediate assessment, reliable and real-time in-vivo imaging would be required. For example, intraoperative confocal laser microscopy has been shown to be suitable for distinguishing organs and also malignant and benign tissue. So far, the analysis is done by human experts. We investigate the feasibility of automatic colon cancer classification from confocal laser microscopy images using deep learning models. We overcome very small dataset sizes through transfer learning with state-of-the-art architectures. We achieve an accuracy of 89.1% for cancer detection in the peritoneum which indicates viability as an intraoperative decision support system.Comment: Accepted at BVM Workshop 201

Use of simplified claustrophobia questionnaire in predicting adherence to positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients

TITLE: Use of simplified claustrophobia questionnaire in predicting adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. Introduction: Claustrophobia could affect adherence to CPAP in sleep apnea patients. High score in a claustrophobia questionnaire containing 12 restriction and 14 suffocation items was associated to poor CPAP adherence in previous research. The restriction and suffocation items were equivalent on predicting CPAP adherence which allowed to limit the survey to only the suffocation questionnaire. The goal of this study is to find the predictability of CPAP adherence for each question of the suffocation questionnaire. Methods: We performed a prospective chart review of 114 patients with newly diagnosed OSA using home sleep apnea testing (HSAT). On initial consultation, patients were provided with a suffocation claustrophobia questionnaire. Patients’ demographics, home sleep study data and objective adherence data were collected within the first 3 months of usage.Results: Items 2 (OR =1.67, p-value = 0.049), 3 (OR=1.60, p-value = 0.021), and 13 (OR= 1.52, p-value = 0.056) are most promising in association with non-adherence. Results indicate that higher scores on item 2 is associated with higher odds of non-adherence to CPAP. Specifically, each point increase on item 2 was associated with a 67% increase in odds of non-adherence. However, these items alone do not show a large effect in providing accurate classification of adherence. Of these items, item 3 had the lower rate of missing data, suggesting that it may be the most patient-friendly item. Conclusions: Based on these results, the 3 questions with highest predictability for CPAP adherence will be studied in the clinical arena to address feasibility and predictability.https://scholarlycommons.henryford.com/merf2019clinres/1013/thumbnail.jp

Frizzled-7 is required for Xenopus heart development

Wnt signalling regulates cardiogenesis during specification of heart tissue and the morphogenetic movements necessary to form the linear heart. Wnt11 mediated non-canonical signalling promotes early cardiac development whilst Wnt11-R, which is expressed later, also signals through the non-canonical pathway to promote heart development. It is unclear which Frizzleds mediate these interactions. Frizzled-7 (fzd7) is expressed during gastrulation in the mesodermal cells fated to become heart and then in the primary heart field. This expression is complementary to the expression of wnt11 and wnt11-R We further show co-localisation of fzd7 with other early and late heart-specific markers using double in situ hybridisation. We have used loss of function analysis to determine the role of fzd7 during heart development. Morpholino antisense oligonucleotide-mediated knockdown of Fzd7 results in effects on heart development, similar to that caused by Wnt11 loss of function. Surprisingly, overexpression of dominant-negative Fzd7 cysteine rich domain (Fzd7 CRD) results in a cardia bifida phenotype, similar to the loss of wnt11-R phenotype. Overexpression of Fzd7 and activation of non-canonical wnt signalling can rescue the effect of Fzd7 CRD. We propose that Fzd7 has an important role during Xenopus heart development

Author Correction: FAM222A encodes a protein which accumulates in plaques in Alzheimer’s disease (Nature Communications, (2020), 11, 1, (411), 10.1038/s41467-019-13962-0)

In the original version of the manuscript, the image shown in Figure 4g, bottom row (Aβ1–42 + rAggregatin), under “6h” was incorrect. This image incorrectly showed the same sample as shown in the original Figure 4g, top row (Aβ1–42), under “0.5h”. The correct version of figure 4g is as follows: (Figure presented.) which replaces the previous incorrect version: (Figure presented.)

The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder