Inducing Vascular Grammars for Anomaly Classification in Brain Angiograms

As machine learning is used to make strides in med- ical diagnostics, few methods provide heuristics from which human doctors can learn directly. This work introduces a method for leveraging human observable structures, such as macro scale vascular formations, for producing assessments of medical conditions with rela- tively few training cases, and uncovering patterns that are potential diagnostic aids. The approach draws on shape grammars, a rule-based technique, pioneered in design and architecture, and accelerated through a re- cursive sub-graph mining algorithm. The distribution of rule instances in the data from which they are in- duced is then used as an intermediary representation en- abling common classification and anomaly detection ap- proaches to identify indicative rules with relatively small data sets. The method is applied to 7 Tesla time-of- flight (TOF) angiography MRI (n = 54) of human brain vasculature. The data were segmented and induced to generate representative grammar rules. Ensembles of rules were isolated to implicate vascular conditions reli- ably. This application demonstrates the power of auto- mated structured intermediary representations for as- sessing nuanced biological form relationships, and the strength of shape grammars, in particular for identify- ing indicative patterns in complex vascular networks.

Characterization of an Insoluble and Soluble Form of Melanin Produced by Streptomyces cavourensis SV 21, a Sea Cucumber Associated Bacterium

Melanin is a widely distributed and striking dark-colored pigment produced by countless living organisms. Although a wide range of bioactivities have been recognized, there are still major constraints in using melanin for biotechnological applications such as its fragmentary known chemical structure and its insolubility in inorganic and organic solvents. In this study, a bacterial culture of Streptomyces cavourensis SV 21 produced two distinct forms of melanin: (1) a particulate, insoluble form as well as (2) a rarely observed water-soluble form. The here presented novel, acid-free purification protocol of purified particulate melanin (PPM) and purified dissolved melanin (PDM) represents the basis for an in-depth comparison of their physicochemical and biological properties, which were compared to the traditional acid-based precipitation of melanin (AM) and to a synthetic melanin standard (SM). Our data show that the differences in solubility between PDM and PPM in aqueous solutions may be a result of different adjoining cation species, since the soluble PDM polymer is largely composed of Mg2+ ions and the insoluble PPM is dominated by Ca2+ ions. Furthermore, AM shared most properties with SM, which is likely attributed to a similar, acid-based production protocol. The here presented gentler approach of purifying melanin facilitates a new perspective of an intact form of soluble and insoluble melanin that is less chemical altered and thus closer to its original biological form.

Uses of Bacteriophages as Bacterial Control Tools and Environmental Safety Indicators

Bacteriophages are bacterial-specific viruses and the most abundant biological form on Earth. Each bacterial species possesses one or multiple bacteriophages and the specificity of infection makes them a promising alternative for bacterial control and environmental safety, as a biotechnological tool against pathogenic bacteria, including those resistant to antibiotics. This application can be either directly into foods and food-related environments as biocontrol agents of biofilm formation. In addition, bacteriophages are used for microbial source-tracking and as fecal indicators. The present review will focus on the uses of bacteriophages like bacterial control tools, environmental safety indicators as well as on their contribution to bacterial control in human, animal, and environmental health.

Production and Escalation of L-Lysine via Bacterial Fermentation Utilizing Streptococcus Sp

Background and AimsThe importance of L-lysine as an essential amino acid in the nutrition of human beings has made it desirable supplement of the diet in recent years. It can be produced in different ways among them fermentation is the most economical and practical means of producing lysine. In this method low temperature, low pressure and low-cost carbon sources are used and a biological form of lysine (L-lysine) is produced. MethodsIn the present study, the production of L-lysine was achieved through fermentation developed from locally isolated bacterial strains. In total, twenty-nine (29) bacterial strains were isolated and tested using paper chromatographic technique. Six different parameters for optimization were scrutinized for improved bacterial growth and significant yield of lysine was obtained using selected strains.Key ResultsFor Streptococcus sp. molasses media with vitamins (w) formed 24.4 g/L, 40º C generated 24.4 g/L, addition of 1mM solution of metal ion (Mg) yielded 20.4 g/L, pH 6.5 delivered 6 g/L, fermentation period of 96 hours engendered 24.4 g/L, and 0.3 mL of inoculum results in 9.2 g/L of lysine. ConclusionsLaboratory scale production of L-lysine was carried out using 1 L Erlenmeyer flask. For Streptococcus sp. 23.4 g/L of lysine was produced after optimized conditions.

Multimodal Imaging of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Dynamic Liver Phantom

Liver phantom is used at various medical levels, such as detecting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the early stages, training medical staff to deal with HCC by taking biopsies, developing new sequences on medical imaging devices, confirming the image quality, applying treatments to HCC, and others. All of the trials should be applied before entering the real human body. The phantom includes properties very similar to those of the human body, as well as the properties of liver cancer and how it is treated within the body through its biological form. Therefore, the present chapter aims to provide comprehensive information to consider when fabricating HCC-containing phantoms and the characteristics of those phantoms in proportion to multimodal medical imaging to aid in understanding the main target of dynamic phantom for HCC.

Sensory adaptations reshaped intrinsic factors underlying morphological diversification in bats

Background Morphological evolution may be impacted by both intrinsic (developmental, constructional, physiological) and extrinsic (ecological opportunity and release) factors, but can intrinsic factors be altered by adaptive evolution and, if so, do they constrain or facilitate the subsequent diversification of biological form? Bats underwent deep adaptive divergences in skull shape as they evolved different sensory modes; here we investigate the potential impact of this process on two intrinsic factors that underlie morphological variation across organisms, allometry, and modularity. Results We use comparative phylogenetic and morphometric approaches to examine patterns of evolutionary allometry and modularity across a 3D geometric morphometric dataset spanning all major bat clades. We show that allometric relationships diverge between echolocators and visually oriented non-echolocators and that the evolution of nasal echolocation reshaped the modularity of the bat cranium. Conclusions Shifts in allometry and modularity may have significant consequences on the diversification of anatomical structures, as observed in the bat skull.

Local superimpositions facilitate morphometric analysis of complex articulating structures

Articulating structures, such as the vertebrate skeleton or the body and limb segments of the arthropod exoskeleton, comprise a majority of the morphological diversity across the eukaryotic tree of life. Quantifying the form of articulating structures is therefore imperative for a fuller understanding of the factors influencing biological form. A wealth of freely available 3 D data capturing this morphological diversity is stored in online repositories such as Morphosource, but the geometric morphometric analysis of an articulating structure is impeded by arbitrary differences in the resting positions of its individual articulating elements. In complex articulating structures, where the angles between articulating elements cannot be standardized, landmarks on articulating elements must be Procrustes superimposed independently (locally) and then recombined to quantify variation in the entire articulating structure simultaneously. Here, we discuss recent advances in local superimposition techniques, namely the ‘matched local superimpositions’ approach which incorporates anatomically-accurate relative sizes, positions, and orientations of locally-superimposed landmarks, enabling clearer biological interpretation. We also use simulations to evaluate the consequences of choice of superimposition approach. Our results show that local superimpositions will isolate shape variation within locally-superimposed landmark subsets by sacrificing size and positional variation. They may also create morphometric ‘modules’ when there are none by increasing integration within the locally-superimposed subsets, however this effect is no greater than the spurious between-module integration created when superimposing landmark subsets (i.e., articulating elements) together. Taken together, our results show that local superimposition techniques differ from conventional Procrustes superimpositions in predictable ways. Finally, we use empirical datasets of the skulls of wrasses and colubriform snakes to highlight the promise of local superimpositions and their utility. Complex articulating structures must be studied, and the only current solution to do so is local superimpositions.

Design a Database of Italian Vascular Alimurgic Flora (AlimurgITA): Preliminary Results

Despite the large number of data published in Italy on WEPs, there is no database providing a complete knowledge framework. Hence the need to design a database of the Italian alimurgic flora: AlimurgITA. Only strictly alimurgic taxa were chosen, excluding casual alien and cultivated ones. The collected data come from an archive of 358 texts (books and scientific articles) from 1918 to date, chosen with appropriate criteria. For each taxon, the part of the plant used, the method of use, the chorotype, the biological form and the regional distribution in Italy were considered. The 1103 taxa of edible flora already entered in the database equal 13.09% of Italian flora. The most widespread family is that of the Asteraceae (20.22%); the most widely used taxa are Cichorium intybus and Borago officinalis. The not homogeneous regional distribution of WEPs (maximum in the south and minimum in the north) has been interpreted. Texts published reached its peak during the 2001–2010 decade. A database for Italian WEPs is important to have a synthesis and to represent the richness and complexity of this knowledge, also in light of its potential for cultural enhancement, as well as its applications for the agri-food system.

Acute monoarthritis in young children: comparing the characteristics of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis versus septic and undifferentiated arthritis

Acute arthritis is a common cause of consultation in pediatric emergency wards. Arthritis can be caused by juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), septic (SA) or remain undetermined (UA). In young children, SA is mainly caused by Kingella kingae (KK), a hard to grow bacteria leading generally to a mild clinical and biological form of SA. An early accurate diagnosis between KK-SA and early-onset JIA is essential to provide appropriate treatment and follow-up. The aim of this work was to compare clinical and biological characteristics, length of hospital stays, duration of intravenous (IV) antibiotics exposure and use of invasive surgical management of patients under 6 years of age hospitalized for acute monoarthritis with a final diagnosis of JIA, SA or UA. We retrospectively analyzed data from < 6-year-old children, hospitalized at a French tertiary center for acute mono-arthritis, who underwent a joint aspiration. Non-parametric tests were performed to compare children with JIA, SA or UA. Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons was applied with threshold for significance at 0.025. Among the 196 included patients, 110 (56.1%) had SA, 20 (10.2%) had JIA and 66 (33.7%) had UA. Patients with JIA were older when compared to SA (2.7 years [1.8–3.6] versus 1.4 [1.1–2.1], p < 0.001). Presence of fever was not different between JIA and SA or UA. White blood cells in serum were lower in JIA (11.2 × 109/L [10–13.6]) when compared to SA (13.2 × 109/L [11–16.6]), p = 0.01. In synovial fluid leucocytes were higher in SA 105.5 × 103 cells/mm3 [46–211] compared to JIA and UA (42 × 103 cells/mm3 [6.4–59.2] and 7.29 × 103 cells/mm3 [2.1–72] respectively), p < 0.001. Intravenous antibiotics were administered to 95% of children with JIA, 100% of patients with SA, and 95.4% of UA. Arthrotomy-lavage was performed in 66.7% of patients with JIA, 79.6% of patients with SA, and 71.1% of patients with UA. In children less than 6 years of age with acute mono-arthritis, the clinical and biological parameters currently used do not reliably differentiate between JIA, AS and UA. JIA subgroups that present a diagnostic problem at the onset of monoarthritis before the age of 6 years, are oligoarticular JIA and systemic JIA with hip arthritis. The development of new biomarkers will be required to distinguish JIA and AS caused by Kingellakingae in these patients.

CORONAVIRUS AND THE GERMAN LANGUAGE

The article deals with the German neologisms in the period from March 2020 to the present. Coronavirus although is not terrible, but its consequences are unpredictable. The world is not only divided into two parts: before and during the disease, but also put man in front of a difficult choice: to be or not to be a biological form. In other words, human behavior must be transformed, focused on real fruitful cooperation to increase the level of happiness on the planet Earth. Covid is obviously the trigger that will help balance the spiritual and the unspiritual, the material and the ideal, the moral and the immoral, the intellectual and the emotional, or, conversely, the physical destruction of the “spoiled product” of modern humanity. All this indicates the relevance of choosing the topic of the abstracted article. The semantic uncertainties of German nouns with coronavirus meaning, the fragmentary nature of scientific research necessitate further comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon. We also see the urgency of the work in the general orientation of modern linguistics to consider the peculiarities of the formation of the lexical meaning of the neologism. We interpret neologism as a result of the nominative process of new concepts of the world around us on the time axis. The semantic subtypes of the analyzed neologisms are singled out, their classification by thematic feature is offered, the strong and weak links of the general development of the linguistic community are clarified, the duality of the socio-psychological behavior of the ethnos is proved, and its emotional and evaluative attitude to the coronavirus pandemic is reconstructed.