Subject-centered multi-view feature fusion for neuroimaging retrieval and classification

Multi-View neuroimaging retrieval and classification play an important role in computer-aided-diagnosis of brain disorders, as multi-view features could provide more insights of the disease pathology and potentially lead to more accurate diagnosis than single-view features. The large inter-feature and inter-subject variations make the multi-view neuroimaging analysis a challenging task. Many multi-view or multi-modal feature fusion methods have been proposed to reduce the impact of inter-feature variations in neuroimaging data. However, there is not much in-depth work focusing on the inter-subject variations. In this study, we propose a subject-centered multi-view feature fusion method for neuroimaging retrieval and classification based on the propagation graph fusion (PGF) algorithm. Two main advantages of the proposed method are: 1) it evaluates the query online and adaptively reshapes the connections between subjects according to the query; 2) it measures the affinity of the query to the subjects using the subject-centered affinity matrices, which can be easily combined and efficiently solved. Evaluated using a public accessible neuroimaging database, our algorithm outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in retrieval and achieves comparable performance in classification

Longitudinal brain MR retrieval with diffeomorphic demons registration: What happened to those patients with similar changes?

Current medical content-based retrieval (MCBR) systems for neuroimaging data mainly focus on retrieving the cross-sectional neuroimaging data with similar regional or global measurements. The longitudinal pathological changes along different time-points are usually neglected in such MCBR systems. We propose the cross-registration based retrieval for longitudinal MR data to retrieve patients with similar structural changes as an extension to the existing MCBR systems. The diffeomorphic demons registration is used to extract the tissue deformation between two adjacent MR volumes. An asymmetric square dissimilarity matrix is designed for indexing the patient changes within a specific interval. A visual demonstration is given to show the registration displacement fields of the query as compared to the simulated results. The experimental performance with the mean average precision (mAP) and the average top-K accuracy (aACC) are reported for evaluation

Efecto del compostaje en la germinación de semillas de Digitaria sanguinalis

Uno de los parámetros de calidad del compost es la ausencia de semillas U otros propágulos viables de malas hierbas. En este contexto, el objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el efecto del proceso de compostaje en la capacidad germinativa de semillas de garranchuelo (Digitaria sanguinalis) y mijera (Echinochloa crus-galli), dos especies de malas hierbas anuales ampliamente distribuidas. El experimento se llevó a cabo en compostadores de tipo doméstico de 330L. El llenado de los compostadores se realizó en 3 días con una mezcla 1:1 (v:v) de fracción orgánica y restos de poda de jardinería urbana triturados. Al finalizar el llenado, se enterraron en la zona media-central de los compostadores 14 bolsas de nylon por especie, con un mínimo de 200 semillas cada una. Se utilizaron semillas no latentes, almacenadas en seco desde su recolección, con una germinación superior al 95%. Cada día y durante dos semanas se extrajeron 2 bolsas por especie. Las semillas de cada bolsa se pusieron a germinar al régimen térmico y lumínico de 20ºC (12h de oscuridad) / 30ºC (12h de luz). La germinación de Digitaria sanguinalis fue nula en los 14 desenterramientos efectuados. Los resultados con Echinochloa crus-galli fueron similares, aunque en este caso se detectó cierta germinación (55ºC) y elevada humedad es letal para ambas especies.Postprint (published version

Content-Based Retrieval of Brain Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Image

The content-based retrieval of diffusion magnetic resonance (dMR) imaging data would enable a wide range of analyses on large databases with dMR images.This paper proposes a content-based retrieval framework for dMR images to explore the use of Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) - derived parameters. The propagation graph algorithm is proposed for the query-centric retrieval of dMR subjects and the fusion of different features. The proposed framework was evaluated with ADNI database with 233 baseline dMR images. The preliminary results show that the proposed retrieval framework is able to retrieve subjects with similar neurodegenerative patterns

Multimodal Neuroimaging Feature Learning for Multiclass Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease

The accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is essential for patient care and will be increasingly important as disease modifying agents become available, early in the course of the disease. Although studies have applied machine learning methods for the computer-aided diagnosis of AD, a bottleneck in the diagnostic performance was shown in previous methods, due to the lacking of efficient strategies for representing neuroimaging biomarkers. In this study, we designed a novel diagnostic framework with deep learning architecture to aid the diagnosis of AD. This framework uses a zero-masking strategy for data fusion to extract complementary information from multiple data modalities. Compared to the previous state-of-the-art workflows, our method is capable of fusing multimodal neuroimaging features in one setting and has the potential to require less labeled data. A performance gain was achieved in both binary classification and multiclass classification of AD. The advantages and limitations of the proposed framework are discussed

Long-term effects in bone mineral density after different bariatric procedures in patients with type 2 diabetes: outcomes of a randomized clinical trial

There is scant evidence of the long-term effects of bariatric surgery on bone mineral density (BMD). We compared BMD changes in patients with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) 5 years after randomization to metabolic gastric bypass (mRYGB), sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and greater curvature plication (GCP). We studied the influence of first year gastrointestinal hormone changes on final bone outcomes. Forty-five patients, averaging 49.4 (7.8) years old and body mass index (BMI) 39.4 (1.9) kg/m(2), were included. BMD at lumbar spine (LS) was lower after mRYGB compared to SG and GCP: 0.89 [0.82;0.94] vs. 1.04 [0.91;1.16] vs. 0.99 [0.89;1.12],p= 0.020. A higher percentage of LS osteopenia was present after mRYGB 78.6% vs. 33.3% vs. 50.0%, respectively. BMD reduction was greater in T2D remitters vs. non-remitters. Weight at fifth year predicted BMD changes at the femoral neck (FN) (adjustedR(2): 0.3218;p= 0.002), and type of surgery (mRYGB) and menopause predicted BMD changes at LS (adjustedR(2): 0.2507;p< 0.015). In conclusion, mRYGB produces higher deleterious effects on bone at LS compared to SG and GCP in the long-term. Women in menopause undergoing mRYGB are at highest risk of bone deterioration. Gastrointestinal hormone changes after surgery do not play a major role in BMD outcomes

Assessment timing and choice of outcome measure in determining treatment response in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy: a post-hoc analysis of the PRISM trial

Introduction/Aims: Treatment response and its timing are variable in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). In this study we assessed the variability using multiple outcome measures. Methods: We performed a post hoc analysis of the PRISM trial, a 24-week prospective, multicenter, single-arm, open-label, phase III study of a 10% intravenous immunoglobulin preparation for CIDP. We ascertained timing of response with primary/secondary outcome measures. Results: At 6 weeks after treatment initiation, 13 of 40 subjects (32.5%) were defined as responders on the primary outcome measure, the adjusted Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause And Treatment (INCAT) scale. This increased to 20 of 41 (48.8%) at 12 weeks and to 32 of 42 (76.2%) at 24 weeks. Use of minimal important difference (MID)-determined amelioration of the inflammatory Rasch-built Overall Disability Scale (I-RODS), or of the Medical Research Council sum score (MRCSS), or of dominant hand-grip strength, in addition to the adjusted INCAT, indicated a sensitivity of 41.7% in identifying adjusted INCAT nonresponders at week 12 who subsequently responded at week 24. Specificity was 60% vs INCAT nonresponders at week 24. Consideration of amelioration of any amplitude on any secondary outcome measure indicated a 75% sensitivity, but only 30% specificity vs adjusted INCAT nonresponders at week 24. Discussion: Immunoglobulin treatment continuation may be justified for up to 24 weeks in CIDP. Additional outcome measures may help in the early treatment stages to predict delayed response on the adjusted INCAT. However, their use is limited by high false-positive rates. More robust, reliable, and relevant outcome measures are needed to detect early improvement in immunoglobulin-treated CIDP

New conservation viewpoints when plants are viewed at one level higher. Integration of phylogeographic structure, niche modeling and genetic diversity in conservation planning of W Mediterranean larkspurs

Protection and management of closely related endangered species and subspecies at a very narrow regional scale is the origin of multiple dysfunctional conservation decisions. These include artificially increased IUCN risk assessment categories and derived consequences: poor effectiveness in allocating public and private funds or repeat of unnecessary actions/facilities. Data provided by the revisited study of a group of W Mediterranean larkspurs (Delphinium ser. Fissa), including new data on demography, niche modeling, genetic diversity and phylogeography, contributed to a new and wider analysis of causes of threat. Although current IUCN Red List regulations did not allow for assessments at levels higher than a specific rank, scientific information suggests that in some cases this could be a better approach for sound scientifically-based biodiversity conservation planning and action

Effects of climate change on the potential distribution of the threatened relict Dipentodon sinicus of subtropical forests in East Asia: Recommendations for management and conservation

Dipentodon sinicus Dunn. (Dipentodonaceae) is a rare and threatened relict plant species usually found co-dominating with other relict plants in subtropical forest patches in highly fragmented habitats of southwestern China, northern Vietnam and northeastern Myanmar of East Asia. To date, its management and conservation strategies in the light of climate change have not been explored. We evaluated effects of climate change on the distribution of climatically suitable areas of D. sinicus as found prevailing during the last glacial maximum (LGM), the mid-Holocene and the present time, and predicted the distribution of climatically suitable habitats in 2070 throughout East Asia. The results as derived from ecological niche modeling (ENM) show the current distribution to be limited to the prehistoric (the mid-Holocene and LGM) refugia, and to indicate decreasing probability of presence and a reducing range of distribution for 2070. In addition, the suitable areas predicted with high probability (0.5–1) only account for on average 9.8% of the total area of potential habitats (threshold‒1) among the models for the year 2070, thereby indicating that D. sinicus is highly vulnerable. Under all the future scenarios for the year 2070, 69–74.2% of potential habitats in China would be outside protected areas. We assess and propose priorities for protected areas, and provide suggestions for conservation management strategies.This study received financial support from Science and Technology Department of Yunnan University, China (2019YNU002), the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2015FY210200-15), Ajuts a Grups de Recerca Consolidats” (grants nos. 2014-SGR514-GREB and 2017-SGR1116) from the Generalitat de Catalunya (Spain), Applied Basic Research Foundation of Yunnan Province, China (Grant No. 2019FB058), the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund (JPMEERF15S11407) of the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency of Japan, and the Kakenhi Grant Number 15H02833.Highlights Abstract Keywords 1. Introduction 2. Material and methods 2.1. Species 2.2. Occurrence data and ecological niche modeling 3. Results 3.1. Model performance and present potential distribution 3.2. Projected distribution during the mid-Holocene (ca. 6000 yr BP) and LGM (ca. 21,000 yr BP) 3.3. Projected distribution under future climate (2070) 4. Discussion 4.1. Effects of climate change on spatial distribution patterns of D. sinicus 5. Recommendations for future conservation efforts and management Declaration of competing interest Acknowledgements Appendix A. Supplementary data Reference