Fuzzy classification improvement by a pre-perceptual labelled segmentation algorithm

The goal of this paper is to present how two different image processing approaches can be enhanced by merging both methodologies. We will see how the results of a perceptual labelled segmentation methodology [7] can be improved by applying a fuzzy classification algorithm [2] based on a fuzzy outranking methodology [9] as a postprocessing algorithm, and viceversa. A comparison of the individual algorithms with the combination of both algorithms will be presented in order to demonstrate the improvement. Color Bone Marrow (1) images will be used. The objective is to detect White Blood Cells. The detection of white blood cells in bone marrow microscopic images presents big difficulties because of the great variance in their characteristics and also because of staining and illumination inconsistences. On the other hand, the maturity classes of white blood cells actually represents a continuum; cells frequently overlap each other, and there is a fairly wide variation in size and shape of nucleus and cytoplasm regions within given cell classes

Prácticas de Lenguaje Máquina

En este trabajo se presentan un conjunto de prácticas diseñadas para que el alumno alcance un buen conocimiento del nivel de L.M. y entienda como se ejecuta un programa escrito en un lenguaje de alto nivel en un ordenador. En estas prácticas el alumno debe implementar un programa en L.M. a partir de un algoritmo dado. La principal novedad que se presentan es la metodología, que se basa en: 1) cada ejercicio se realiza en una sesión de 2 horas; 2) al principio de cada sesión, el profesor de prácticas repasa (en 30 minutos) los conceptos teóricos que se aplican en el ejercicio; 3) cada ejercicio se puede realizar independientemente de los anteriores

Active ecological restoration of cold-water corals: techniques, challenges, costs and future directions

Cold-water coral (CWC) habitats dwell on continental shelves, slopes, seamounts, and ridge systems around the world's oceans from 50 to 4000 m depth, providing heterogeneous habitats which support a myriad of associated fauna. These highly diverse ecosystems are threatened by human stressors such as fishing activities, gas and oil exploitation, and climate change. Since their life-history traits such as long lifespan and slow growth rates make CWCs very vulnerable to potential threats, it is a foremost challenge to explore the viability of restoration actions to enhance and speed up their recovery. In contrast to terrestrial and shallow-water marine ecosystems, ecological restoration in deep marine environments has received minimal attention. This review, by means of a systematic literature search, aims to identify CWC restoration challenges, assess the most suitable techniques to restore them, and discuss future perspectives. Outcomes from the few restoration actions performed to date on CWCs, which have lasted between 1 to 4 years, provide evidence of the feasibility of coral transplantation and artificial reef deployments. Scientific efforts should focus on testing novel and creative restoration techniques, especially to scale up to the spatial and temporal scales of impacts. There is still a general lack of knowledge about the biological, ecological and habitat characteristics of CWC species exploration of which would aid the development of effective restoration measures. To ensure the long-term viability and success of any restoration action it is essential to include holistic and long-term monitoring programs, and to ideally combine active restoration with natural spontaneous regeneration (i.e., passive restoration) strategies such as the implementation of deep-sea marine protected areas (MPAs). We conclude that a combination of passive and active restoration approaches with involvement of local society would be the best optimal option to achieve and ensure CWC restoration success

Involving fishers in scaling up the restoration of cold-water coral gardens on the Mediterranean continental shelf

12 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, supplementary data https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109301Cold-water gorgonians dwelling on the continental shelf are a common by-catch of bottom-contact fishing practices. Given the slow growth and limited recruitment of cold-water gorgonians, the impact of fishing activities may seriously compromise the conservation of the highly complex coral gardens communities. For this reason, the development of effective active and passive restoration methods is nowadays a priority in order to enhance the natural recovery of impacted cold-water coral gardens. However, the ecological restoration of mesophotic and deep-sea communities remains extremely limited, due to its technological requirements and associated costs, which bring its wide-scale and long-term application into question. This study reports the preliminary results of the first large-scale active restoration of more than 400 cold-water gorgonians on the Mediterranean continental shelf. By actively involving local fishers during two consecutive fishing seasons, by-catch gorgonians were recovered and returned to the continental shelf (at 80–90 m depth). The monitoring surveys performed by using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) revealed that 460 gorgonian transplants survived over an area of 0.23 ha. The reintroduced cold-water gorgonian population was compared to a reference natural population in terms of size and spatial structure. The cost of the restoration amounted to 140,000 €/ha, which is significantly lower than that of any deep-sea restoration actions performed to date. The results of this cost-effective active restoration highlight the viability of large-scale restoration of impacted cold-water coral communities, with promising results for the conservation and recovery of mesophotic and deep-sea ecosystemsThis work was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, Grant/Award Number: No 689518 (MERCES); the Fundación Biodiversidad of the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition through the Pleamar Programme (RESCAP project), co-funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund; Spanish Ministry for Education, Culture and Sports, Grant/Award Number: FPU 2014_06977 (FPU 2014 grant), and the Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness, Grant/Award Number: IJCI-2015-23962 (JdC 2015 grant).CL acknowledges the financial support from ICREA [ICREA Academia programme]With the institutional support of the ‘Severo OchoaCentre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S)Peer reviewe

Serum free light chain measurement aids the diagnosis of myeloma in patients with severe renal failure

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Monoclonal free light chains (FLCs) frequently cause rapidly progressive renal failure in patients with multiple myeloma. Immunoassays which provide quantitative measurement of FLCs in serum, have now been adopted into screening algorithms for multiple myeloma and other lymphoproliferative disorders. The assays indicate monoclonal FLC production by the presence of an abnormal κ to λ FLC ratio (reference range 0.26–1.65). Previous work, however, has demonstrated that in patients with renal failure the FLC ratio can be increased above normal with no other evidence of monoclonal proteins suggesting that in this population the range should be extended (reference range 0.37–3.1). This study evaluated the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the immunoassays in patients with severe renal failure.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sera from 142 patients with new dialysis-dependent renal failure were assessed by serum protein electrophoresis (SPE), FLC immunoassays and immunofixation electrophoresis. The sensitivity and specificity of the FLC ratio's published reference range was compared with the modified renal reference range for identifying patients with multiple myeloma; by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Forty one patients had a clinical diagnosis of multiple myeloma; all of these patients had abnormal serum FLC ratios. The modified FLC ratio range increased the specificity of the assays (from 93% to 99%), with no loss of sensitivity. Monoclonal FLCs were identified in the urine from 23 of 24 patients assessed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Measurement of serum FLC concentrations and calculation of the serum κ/λ ratio is a convenient, sensitive and specific method for identifying monoclonal FLC production in patients with multiple myeloma and acute renal failure. Rapid diagnosis in these patients will allow early initiation of disease specific treatment, such as chemotherapy plus or minus therapies for direct removal of FLCs.</p

Renal amyloidosis in children

Renal amyloidosis is a detrimental disease caused by the deposition of amyloid fibrils. A child with renal amyloidosis may present with proteinuria or nephrotic syndrome. Chronic renal failure may follow. Amyloid fibrils may deposit in other organs as well. The diagnosis is through the typical appearance on histopathology. Although chronic infections and chronic inflammatory diseases used to be the causes of secondary amyloidosis in children, the most frequent cause is now autoinflammatory diseases. Among this group of diseases, the most frequent one throughout the world is familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). FMF is typically characterized by attacks of clinical inflammation in the form of fever and serositis and high acute-phase reactants. Persisting inflammation in inadequately treated disease is associated with the development of secondary amyloidosis. The main treatment is colchicine. A number of other monogenic autoinflammatory diseases have also been identified. Among them cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) is outstanding with its clinical features and the predilection to develop secondary amyloidosis in untreated cases. The treatment of secondary amyloidosis mainly depends on the treatment of the disease. However, a number of new treatments for amyloid per se are in the pipeline