Detection of microcalcifications in mammograms using error of prediction and statistical measures

A two-stage method for detecting microcalcifications in mammograms is presented. In the first stage, the determination of the candidates for microcalcifications is performed. For this purpose, a 2-D linear prediction error filter is applied, and for those pixels where the prediction error is larger than a threshold, a statistical measure is calculated to determine whether they are candidates for microcalcifications or not. In the second stage, a feature vector is derived for each candidate, and after a classification step using a support vector machine, the final detection is performed. The algorithm is tested with 40 mammographic images, from Screen Test: The Alberta Program for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer with 50- m resolution, and the results are evaluated using a freeresponse receiver operating characteristics curve. Two different analyses are performed: an individual microcalcification detection analysis and a cluster analysis. In the analysis of individual microcalcifications, detection sensitivity values of 0.75 and 0.81 are obtained at 2.6 and 6.2 false positives per image, on the average, respectively. The best performance is characterized by a sensitivity of 0.89, a specificity of 0.99, and a positive predictive value of 0.79. In cluster analysis, a sensitivity value of 0.97 is obtained at 1.77 false positives per image, and a value of 0.90 is achieved at 0.94 false positive per imag

Non-AIDS-related comorbidities in people living with HIV-1 aged 50 years and older: The AGING POSITIVE study.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the profile of non-AIDS-related comorbidities (NARC) in the older HIV-1-infected population and to explore the factors associated with multiple NARC. METHODS: This was a multicentre, cross-sectional study including HIV-1-infected patients aged ≥50 years, who were virologically suppressed and had been on a stable antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen for at least 6 months. A multiple regression model explored the association between demographic and clinical variables and the number of NARC. RESULTS: Overall, 401 patients were enrolled. The mean age of the patients was 59.3 years and 72.6% were male. The mean duration of HIV-1 infection was 12.0 years and the median exposure to ART was 10.0 years. The mean number of NARC was 2.1, and 34.7% of patients had three or more NARC. Hypercholesterolemia was the most frequent NARC (60.8%), followed by arterial hypertension (39.7%) and chronic depression/anxiety (23.9%). Arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus were the most frequently treated NARC (95.6% and 92.6% of cases, respectively). The linear regression analysis showed a positive relationship between age and NARC (B=0.032, 95% confidence interval 0.015-0.049; p=0.0003) and between the duration of HIV-1 infection and NARC (B=0.039, 95% confidence interval 0.017-0.059; p=0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of NARC was found, the most common being metabolic, cardiovascular, and psychological conditions. NARC rates were similar to those reported for the general population, suggesting a larger societal problem beyond HIV infection. A multidisciplinary approach is essential to reduce the burden of complex multi-morbid conditions in the HIV-1-infected population.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Clinical Evaluation of a New Approach for IOL Power Calculation in Keratoconus

Purpose: To obtain an expression of the adjusted IOL power (PIOLadj) in keratoconus eyes associated with minimal errors in IOL power calculation. Materials and methods: This retrospective study included a total of 25 eyes of 25 patients with ages ranging from 20 years to 76 years. The following IOLs were implanted: Acrysof IQ Toric, Acrysof SA60AT in 9 eyes, Sensar in 3 eyes, Tecnis 1 in 4 eyes, and Tecnis Toric in 2 eyes. The PIOLadj is based on Gauss equations, using adjusted keratometric index (nkadj) specific to keratoconus eyes. From this nkadj, an adjusted keratometric corneal power is calculated (Pkadj). The PIOLadj calculation was performed after estimating the effective lens position (ELP) using a mathematical expression obtained by multiple regression analysis (named ELPadj). Comparison between the PIOLadj and the real intraocular power implanted in each patient (PIOLreal) was carried out. Results: No significant differences between PIOLreal and PIOLadj were found. However, differences could be clinically relevant up to of 2.54 D as PIOLreal increases. But, in the range of PIOLreal between 0 and 20 D, differences were lower than 1.5 D, being most of them below 1 D. Conclusion: A new formula of IOL power calculation (PIOLadj) based on the use of an adjusted keratometric power (Pkadj) that considers a variable keratometric index due to the influence of the posterior corneal surface (nkadj) and adjusted effective lens position (ELPadj) is useful for estimating IOL power in low-to-moderate keratoconus, with more limitation in the most advanced keratoconus.David P Piñero is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness within the program Ramón y Cajal, RYC-2016-20471

Genomic variation in recently collected maize landraces from Mexico

AbstractThe present dataset comprises 36,931 SNPs genotyped in 46 maize landraces native to Mexico as well as the teosinte subspecies Zea maiz ssp. parviglumis and ssp. mexicana. These landraces were collected directly from farmers mostly between 2006 and 2010. We accompany these data with a short description of the variation within each landrace, as well as maps, principal component analyses and neighbor joining trees showing the distribution of the genetic diversity relative to landrace, geographical features and maize biogeography. High levels of genetic variation were detected for the maize landraces (HE=0.234 to 0.318 (mean 0.311), while slightly lower levels were detected in Zea m. mexicana and Zea m. parviglumis (HE=0.262 and 0.234, respectively). The distribution of genetic variation was better explained by environmental variables given by the interaction of altitude and latitude than by landrace identity. This dataset is a follow up product of the Global Native Maize Project, an initiative to update the data on Mexican maize landraces and their wild relatives, and to generate information that is necessary for implementing the Mexican Biosafety Law

Unusual Vermamoeba Vermiformis Strain Isolated from Snow in Mount Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Background: Free-living amoebae (FLA) are protozoa that are widely distributed in the environment mainly in water and soil related habitats. Thermophilic amoebae are among the most common FLA in water bodies, being Vermamoeba vermiformis one of the most common species reported worldwide from these sources. Interestingly, V. vermiformis has often been reported to survive at high temperatures and osmotic pressure worldwide.Materials and Methods: In this study, snow samples were collected from Mount Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands during the winter season of 2014. The samples were culture on non nutrient agar plates and checked daily for the presence of FLA. After a week, V. vermiformis amoebae were observed in the plates incubated at room temperature and 37ºC.Results: Molecular characterization was carried out by amplifying the 18S rDNA gene and DNA sequencing, confirmed that the isolated strain belonged to Vermamoeba vermiformis species.Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Vermamoeba vermiformis isolation from such an inusual habitat (low temperatures and high altitude) and the first report of these species in the Canary islands

Assessment of physical fitness during pregnancy: validity and reliability of fitness tests, and relationship with maternal and neonatal health - a systematic review.

Objectives: To systematically review studies evaluating one or more components of physical fitness (PF) in pregnant women, to answer two research questions: (1) What tests have been employed to assess PF in pregnant women? and (2) What is the validity and reliability of these tests and their relationship with maternal and neonatal health? Design: A systematic review. Data sources: PubMed and Web of Science. Eligibility criteria: Original English or Spanish full-text articles in a group of healthy pregnant women which at least one component of PF was assessed (field based or laboratory tests). Results: A total of 149 articles containing a sum of 191 fitness tests were included. Among the 191 fitness tests, 99 (ie, 52%) assessed cardiorespiratory fitness through 75 different protocols, 28 (15%) assessed muscular fitness through 16 different protocols, 14 (7%) assessed flexibility through 13 different protocols, 45 (24%) assessed balance through 40 different protocols, 2 assessed speed with the same protocol and 3 were multidimensional tests using one protocol. A total of 19 articles with 23 tests (13%) assessed either validity (n=4), reliability (n=6) or the relationship of PF with maternal and neonatal health (n=16). Conclusion: Physical fitness has been assessed through a wide variety of protocols, mostly lacking validity and reliability data, and no consensus exists on the most suitable fitness tests to be performed during pregnancy. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42018117554

Early Concrete Structures and Post-Patented Systems: Lessons to Preserve Early 20th Historical Heritage

Reinforced concrete was introduced by patented systems into Spain towards the end of the 19th c. Early patents were effectively foreign trademarks, although Spanish engineers, architects and industrialists soon developed their own RC systems. Local builders would build structures with scarce little regard for calculated design and construction in the first decade of the 20th century. Nevertheless, as further knowledge was required, increasing research led to new RC standards in numerous countries, such as France and Germany. In the second decade of the 20th century, the use of patent systems declined. The teaching of RC started at the Spanish Civil Faculty where systems of scientific calculation were rapidly adopted, although no Spanish RC standard was drafted, unlike the situation in the leading European countries of that time. Hence, the RC structures that proliferated across Spain were mainly based on French or German standards. Spanish industrial activity began to develop in northern areas of the country where the use of new materials was pioneered over the following decades. Nowadays, some of those structures are listed heritage buildings. In this paper, some common features of 15 RC structures built between 1915 and 1936 are discussed, by focusing on their conservation problems. Preliminary structural reports from engineers, architects, municipal councils and, in some cases, the owners of the buildings are compiled with information on the pathologies affecting the buildings and analyses of structural morphologies, and steel and concrete strengths. The results of those studies are analysed, by connecting construction features with structural conditions, in order to gain a deeper understanding of their main characteristics and similarities. The findings will contribute to knowledge of heritage buildings, identifying key strategies for application in future rehabilitation works