Diagnostic Features Research Articles

Migraine in antiphospholipid syndrome and hereditary thrombophilia: pregnancy-related clinical and diagnostic features and therapeutic issues

Introduction. Migraine is one of the most common primary headaches and a risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and hereditary thrombophilia (HT) causing pathological pregnancy are highly associated with migraine. Timely migraine recognition related to APS and HT facilitates earlier initiation of thrombophilia pathogenetic therapy and prevention of potential complications.Aim: to analyze the literature data on migraine clinical and diagnostic features in APS and HT as well as pregnancy-related therapeutic issues.Materials and Methods. A search for scientific literature was conducted in electronic databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, eLibrary from 2004 until May 2024. The search methodological basis included the presence of the following keywords and their combinations in Russian and English: "migraine", "antiphospholipid syndrome", "thrombophilia", "migraine and pregnancy", "migraine and thrombophilia", "migraine and cardiovascular diseases". As a result, a total of 184 publications were identified. Next, 62 articles were included in the review.Results. At the current stage, neurologists have no means to diagnose migraine in APS and HT based on headache-intrinsic characteristics. Pregnancy increases a risk of thrombotic complications. A migraine observed in patient's history should be crucial while assessing pregnancy-related obstetric risk. While diagnosing migraine, neurologists need to examine patient obstetric history. The data on most effective and safe therapy for pregnancy-related migraine attacks remain scarce.Conclusion. The frequent association between APS and HT with migraine, the lack of clear migraine clinical features in thrombophilia, patients’ reproductive age, and the high risk of thrombotic complications necessitate collaboration between neurologists and obstetricians-gynecologists for timely diagnostics and management of such patients. The impact of various types of antithrombotic therapy on migraine course requires further clarification. It is promising to conduct studies able to determine of whether migraine attack prevention can avoid adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with former migraine.

Possible Carbon Dioxide above the Thick Aerosols of GJ 1214 b

Sub-Neptune planets with radii smaller than Neptune (3.9 R ⊕) are the most common type of planet known to exist in the Milky Way, even though they are absent in the solar system. These planets can potentially have a large diversity of compositions as a result of different mixtures of rocky material, icy material, and gas accreted from a protoplanetary disk. However, the bulk density of a sub-Neptune, informed by its mass and radius alone, cannot uniquely constrain its composition; atmospheric spectroscopy is necessary. GJ 1214 b, which hosts an atmosphere that is potentially the most favorable for spectroscopic detection of any sub-Neptune, is instead enshrouded in aerosols (thus showing no spectroscopic features), hiding its composition from view at previously observed wavelengths in its terminator. Here, we present a JWST NIRSpec transmission spectrum from 2.8 to 5.1 μm that shows signatures of CO2 and CH4, expected at high metallicity. A model containing both these molecules is preferred by 3.3σ and 3.6σ as compared to a featureless spectrum for two different data analysis pipelines, respectively. Given the low signal-to-noise of the features compared to the continuum, however, more observations are needed to confirm the CO2 and CH4 signatures and better constrain other diagnostic features in the near-infrared. Further modeling of the planet’s atmosphere, interior structure and origins will provide valuable insights about how sub-Neptunes like GJ 1214 b form and evolve.

Characterization of Intsia spp. from Indonesia using microsatellite markers

Microsatellite DNA markers are known to have a high level of genetic diversity and can be used for various purposes. These include population genetic analysis, gene flow assessment, pollen distribution, parent analysis, and accurate distinction between types and varieties. Despite the potential application of microsatellite markers, their development process often requires high costs, energy, and time. To overcome the limitations, several studies have proposed the use of cross-species amplification, which has proven to be a cost and time-efficient method for obtaining species-specific DNA markers. Therefore, this study aimed to identify three species of Merbau in Indonesia, namely Intsia bijuga, I. palembanica, and I. acuminata using cross-species amplification. The three species are known to exhibit similarities in all taxonomical characteristics except for minor differences in the number of leaf pairs per twig and the tip shape of the leaflets. These species also have different levels of economic value and conservation status due to variations in the type of wood produced. Several studies have shown that identification errors can affect the economic value of their wood and logging mistakes can lead to a decrease in the genetic diversity. To address the concerns, Intsia bijuga and I. acuminata from Indonesia were selected as test samples for the cross-amplification of microsatellite markers created for I. palembanica. Due to their taxonomical similarities, the diagnostic characteristics of each Intsia species were assessed based on microsatellite markers. Leaf samples were obtained from three species of Intsia that had been verified and identified based on morphological characteristics by taxonomists from the Bogor Botanical Garden Indonesia. In addition, a total of 10 polymorphic I. palembanica microsatellite markers from the previous literature were used in this study. The results showed that the cross-species amplification of microsatellite locus was successful in all markers. Certain alleles were also observed to be shared by the three species of Intsia, while some were specific to a particular species. These specific alleles could also serve as a diagnostics characteristic for Intsia spp. In addition, a set of polymorphic microsatellites showing a successful transfer across species of Intsia could serve as a valuable tool for comparative studies among related taxa species and breeding and conservation programs.

Design of model fusion learning method based on deep bidirectional GRU neural network in fault diagnosis of industrial processes

This paper proposes an end-to-end model fusion feature learning method based on deep bidirectional gated recurrent unit (MCNN-DBiGRU) for fault diagnosis in industrial processes. First, a feature-aligned multi-scale feature extraction model (MCNN) is designed by analyzing the working principles of convolutional and pooling layers of convolutional neural networks. Secondly, a deep bidirectional mechanism is proposed to better extract the time series features in the process data. This mechanism makes the recurrent neural network not only present the forward processing input features from the past to the future, but also the reverse processing from the future to the past. By integrating these features, the diagnostic performance of the network model is improved. To verify that the proposed model has effective diagnostic accuracy for fault diagnosis, we conduct simulation experiments on the Tennessee-Eastman (TE) process and a chemical coking furnace, and compare with several conventional network models. In the end, not only the effectiveness of the model is proved, but it is also confirmed that the model is superior to other conventional neural networks in both diagnostic accuracy and feature robustness.

DNA barcoding of southern African mammal species and construction of a reference library for forensic application.

Combating wildlife crimes in South Africa requires accurate identification of traded species and their products. Diagnostic morphological characteristics needed to identify species are often lost when specimens are processed and customs officials lack the expertise to identify species. As a potential solution, DNA barcoding can be used to identify morphologically indistinguishable specimens in forensic cases. However, barcoding is hindered by the reliance on comprehensive, validated DNA barcode reference databases, which are currently limited. To overcome this limitation, we constructed a barcode library of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and cytochrome b sequences for threatened and protected mammals exploited in southern Africa. Additionally, we included closely related or morphologically similar species and assessed the database's ability to identify species accurately. Published southern African sequences were incorporated to estimate intraspecific and interspecific variation. Neighbor-joining trees successfully discriminated 94%-95% of the taxa. However, some widespread species exhibited high intraspecific distances (>2%), suggesting geographic sub-structuring or cryptic speciation. Lack of reliable published data prevented the unambiguous discrimination of certain species. This study highlights the efficacy of DNA barcoding in species identification, particularly for forensic applications. It also highlights the need for a taxonomic re-evaluation of certain widespread species and challenging genera.

Diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) for the diagnosis of hip effusion in the pediatric emergency department.

A new limp or refusal to weight-bear are common symptoms in children presenting to the pediatric emergency department (ED). This poses a diagnostic challenge, particularly among toddlers and nonverbal patients. Point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) used by pediatric emergency medicine physicians may detect hip effusion, which dramatically aids diagnostic workup and management. There is limited literature regarding the accuracy of hip PoCUS conducted by pediatric emergency medicine physicians. This study aims to assess the diagnostic performance of pediatric emergency medicine physician-performed PoCUS in identifying hip effusion. This prospective study was conducted in a single-center pediatric ED. Children presenting with limb pain or new limp were evaluated by pediatric emergency medicine physicians who also performed hip PoCUS and categorized findings as either "effusion" or "no effusion" based on standard sonographic definitions. Patients also underwent radiology department ultrasound reviewed by a pediatric radiologist. Diagnostic test characteristics with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using radiology department ultrasound findings as the reference standard. A total of 95 patients were enrolled by 8 pediatric emergency medicine physicians. Excellent agreement was observed between PoCUS performed by pediatric emergency medicine physicians and radiology department ultrasound for the presence or absence of hip effusion (kappa = 0.81 [95% CI 0.70-0.93]). Hip effusion was identified by PoCUS in 44 out of 49 effusion-positive patients, with a sensitivity of 89.8% (95% CI 77.7-96.6%), specificity of 91.3% (95% CI 79.2%-97.5%), positive likelihood ratio of 10.33 (95% CI 4.03-26.47), and negative likelihood ratio of 0.11 (95% CI 0.05-0.26). PoCUS performed by pediatric emergency medicine physicians has reasonably high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing hip effusion among pediatric patients presenting to the pediatric ED with a limp or leg pain. This practice may potentially expedite both diagnosis and treatment within this patient population.

Using Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) to Assess Gastrostomy Balloon Placement

BACKGROUND: Fluoroscopy is the gold-standard for evaluation of gastrostomy tube (GT) placement, though it is costly and resource intensive. Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) has potential as a low-risk alternative to confirm GT placement. OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of POCUS for identification of correct gastrostomy balloon placement as compared to fluoroscopy. METHODS: This was a prospective convenience sample of children presenting to interventional radiology for routine GT or gastrojejunal (GJ) tube exchange. Prior to exchange, POCUS operators scanned and interpreted ultrasound images for GT placement, followed by fluoroscopy. A blinded radiologist interpreted fluoroscopic studies. Diagnostic test characteristics, concordance with 95% confidence intervals, and interrater agreement (Cohen's Kappa) between POCUS and fluoroscopy were calculated. RESULTS: Four (3%) of 118 evaluated GT balloons were displaced. Compared to fluoroscopy, novice POCUS assessment of GT/GJ balloon placement had a sensitivity of 86% (79-92%), specificity of 25% (1-81%), PPV of 97% (92-99%), NPV of 6% (1-30%), proportion agreement of 85%, kappa 0.04. Expert POCUS interpretation exhibited sensitivity of 91% (89.5%, 100%), proportion agreement of 89%, kappa 0.08. pH testing had the highest sensitivity of 93% (85%, 97%), proportion of agreement (92%) and kappa (0.20). CONCLUSIONS: POCUS demonstrated a high sensitivity for GT/GJ balloon placement, with low interrater agreement with fluoroscopy. POCUS may not add additional clinical benefit in routine evaluation of gastrostomy tubes over current standards of care. However, POCUS may serve as a useful screening test in settings where fluoroscopy is unavailable or pH is unobtainable.

Utilization of computed tomography for extremity cellulitis: a retrospective single-center analysis

PurposeRoutine imaging of soft tissue infection is not recommended and represents a potential area of computed tomography (CT) overuse. The utility of CT in patients with superficial soft tissue infection of the extremities is unknown. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the utilization and clinical impact of CT ordered in the setting of extremity cellulitis. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed patients with extremity cellulitis examined with CT between 2012-2021 at a single center. We collected patient history, diagnostic imaging characteristics, and subsequent surgery decision. We hypothesized that yield of CT for deep infection was significantly lower than 10% and that yield was decreasing over time. These hypotheses were evaluated with Rao-Scott Chi-Square tests and repeated measures logistic regression. ResultsThere were 496 eligible encounters among 463 patients. Yield of positive CT among lower extremity patients was 5.5% (95%CI 3.33-7.75), significantly less than our hypothesis of 10% (p=0.003). In 71.8% of encounters, patients underwent diagnostic imaging studies in addition to CT. Utilization rose from 0.08% per hospital visit in 2012-2013 to 0.14% in 2020-2021, with differences in yield between time periods not reaching statistical significance (p=0.059). Among 496 encounters, 62 received surgery (12.1%), with 21 of these cases preceded by a positive CT for deep infection. ConclusionsOur 10-year single-center analysis of CT use for extremity cellulitis demonstrated a low yield of positive CT findings for deep infection and limited impact of CT on surgical management. A high incidence of patients undergoing multiple radiologic exams suggests uncertainty in selecting appropriate imaging modalities in this clinical scenario.

Morphology, morphogenesis, and molecular phylogeny of Holostichides (Holostichides) parachardezi nov. Spec. (Ciliophora, Hypotrichia, Urostylida), a new soil ciliate from China

A new urostylid ciliate, Holostichides (Holostichides) parachardezi, collected from a Chinese tropical city, was studied using morphological and molecular methods. Diagnostic features of the new species include: size 140–180 × 30–60 μm in vivo; 25–43 macronuclear nodules; colourless cortical granules; three to six frontoterminal cirri; a midventral complex composed of seven to eleven cirral pairs and one midventral row of five to eleven cirri; four bipolar dorsal kineties and six to nine caudal cirri in four groups; and a terrestrial habitat. Its ontogenesis follows the typical Holostichides mode in that (1) the proximal portion of the parental adoral zone of membranelles is partly renewed and the opisthe’s oral primordium originates very close to the midventral complex; (2) the last anlage n generates the frontoterminal cirral row, and the midventral complex is formed from anlage IV to n − 1; and (3) both marginal rows and dorsal kinety anlagen develop within the parental rows. The present SSU rDNA phylogenies corroborated the monophyly of the genus Holostichides.

Comparison of the Patient Demographics, High-Resolution Computed Tomography Features of the Pulmonary Ground-Glass Opacity and Its Diagnostic Value Analysis

Introduction Pulmonary ground-glass opacity (GGO) observed on computed tomography (CT) is widely regarded as a diagnostic feature of lung adenocarcinoma; however, a significant radiological predictive sign remains controversial. In this retrospective study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of 206 patients with GGO to establish a correlation analysis model between CT images and diagnosis of GGO nodules. Methods Histopathologic specimens were obtained from 206 patients (130 women, 76 men; age range 24–77). The clinical data, pathologic findings, and thin-section CT features of solid, pure GGO (pGGO), and mixed GGO (mGGO) nodules were compared using rigorous statistical methods, such as t-test, Fisher’s exact test, or univariate logistic regression analysis. Results Significant differences were observed among the 3 groups in terms of patient demographics, including gender (P = 0.016), smoking history (P = 0.002), and nodule size (P = 0.002). Morphologic CT characteristics, such as the presence of spiculated sign, lobulated sign, vascular sign, bubble-lucency sign, or pleural retraction, exhibited significant differences among the solid nodule, pGGO, and mGGO groups. However, no significant differences were observed in terms of air-bronchogram sign. Notably, the incidence of malignancy was significantly higher in pGGO nodules (76.52%) than in solid (48.48%) and mGGO (73.86%) nodules. Patients with mGGO had up to 2.988 times higher hazard of malignant lesions than those with solid nodules [P = 0.036, hazard ratio (HR) = 2.988]. Similarly, the hazard of malignant lesions was 2.941 times higher in patients with pGGO than in those with solid nodules (P = 0.007, HR = 2.941). Conclusion Clinical, pathological, and thin-section CT features of solid, pGGO and mGGO nodules were found to be significantly different. Based on our comprehensive analysis, patients presenting with a mGGO or pGGO on CT scans were more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer.

Noninvasive Assessment in Takotsubo Syndrome: A Diagnostic Challenge.

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a clinical syndrome characterized by a transient left ventricular dysfunction whose diagnosis can be challenging due to its resemblance to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Despite the growing recognition of TTS, acute complications and long-term mortality rates are comparable to those observed in AMI patients. In this context, a systematic diagnostic approach is imperative for an accurate patient assessment, with due consideration of the distinctive characteristics and optimal timing of each imaging modality. Coronary angiography with ventriculography may be reserved for cases presenting with ST-segment elevation, whereas in all other cases, the use of multimodality noninvasive imaging allows for a comprehensive evaluation of typical diagnostic features and detection of acute complications while also providing prognostic insights. The aim of this review is to evaluate the current research on non-invasive modalities and to propose a diagnostic algorithm that will facilitate the identification and management of TTS.

Bayesian statistical analysis reveals spatial heterogeneity in Cyclone Thane deposits from Southeast India

Modern and geological records of storm sedimentary deposits preserved on siliciclastic coastlines are important archives to evaluate the past and current magnitude and impacts of.storms. Examination of modern storm deposits also offers the opportunity to evaluate the similarities and differences between storm and other coastal overwash processes and hazards.We examined the stratigraphy and sedimentary characteristics of the 31st December 2012 Cyclone Thane and underlying coastal units from 14 pits from six sites from the coastal zone of Tamil Nadu Province, southeast India. We analysed the grain size parameters, grain shape, and heavy mineral proportions of each deposit in high resolution and examined the sedimentary structures of each unit. For the first time, we use Bayesian factors to quantitatively evaluate the similarities and differences between the storm sedimentary deposits and other co-located coastal sedimentary deposits. At several sites, the storm deposits differ in several parameters from the underlying coastal deposits, but at some locations, distinguishing between different depositional units cannot be achieved. In comparing the storm deposits from the different sites, mean grain size results in the most coherent pattern with closely located sites having similar mean grain size, and more southerly sites being finer grained. The other measured parameters show a far less coherent pattern with adjacent sites often preserving larger differences than more distal sites attesting to very local hydrodynamic variations during sediment deposition. As with the sedimentary parameters, the sedimentary structures formed during sediment deposition preserved at each site are highly variable. To date, the presence of terminal foresets at the landward edge of washover fans remains the only diagnostic feature of storm deposition, but that this feature is not ubiquitous across all storm deposits. Our findings demonstrate the spatially heterogeneous nature of storm sediment deposition and the challenges of identifying storm deposits in coastal siliciclastic sequences. The use of Bayesian statistical approaches also offers a robust method for evaluating and discriminating between coastal sediment deposits that has many advantages over traditional frequentist approaches. This method can easily be applied to other sedimentary depositional environments.

Current Therapy for Carotid Webs

IntroductionCarotid webs are a potential cause of ischemic stroke, particularly in younger patients with few traditional risk factors. Despite advances in imaging technology, the management of carotid webs remains poorly defined due to its rarity, absence of evidence-based guidelines, and the unique challenges presented by these lesions. This narrative review evaluates current knowledge on carotid web management, emphasizing diagnostic features, pathophysiological considerations, and treatment strategies. MethodsA literature search was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar databases with search terms “carotid web management,” “carotid web treatment,” and “carotid web,” focusing on studies published between 2014 and 2024. ResultsCarotid webs are a variant of fibromuscular dysplasia and represent a potential source of embolic strokes. Despite the low overall prevalence, they account for a significant proportion of strokes in younger patients, with a high risk of recurrence when managed medically. Diagnosis often requires advanced imaging, such as CTA or MRA. Treatment options include medical management, carotid endarterectomy, and stenting, though no consensus guidelines exist. Medical management alone has a high recurrent stroke risk. ConclusionCarotid webs should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with cryptogenic stroke, particularly in younger individuals. Given the high recurrence rates with medical management, both endarterectomy and stenting are recognized as safe and effective treatment options. Future prospective studies are needed to determine the optimal management strategy, including the role of preoperative anticoagulation and comparative outcomes of different treatment modalities.

Morphology and molecular phylogeny of Pelagothrix abietum (Penard, 1922) comb. nov. and two new Metacystis and Apolagynus species (Ciliophora, Prostomatea)

Ciliates of the class Prostomatea show a broad spectrum of feeding strategies and often occur abundantly in various aquatic habitats, playing a vital role in the biogeochemical cycle. Due to their small cell size and simple structure, prostomateans were considered to be a group with a lower degree of morphological differentiation for a long time. However, recent research suggests that the diversity of this group of ciliates is higher than previously thought. In the present study, three prostomateans, collected from different localities in China and classified into three families, were examined using morphological and phylogenetic techniques. Our analyses revealed two new species, Metacystis multitricha sp. nov. and Apolagynus spiralis sp. nov., and suggested a transfer of Prorodon abietum Penard, 1922 to the genus Pelagothrix. Phylogenetic analyses corroborated the morphological classifications of the three species into the families Metacystidae, Lagynusidae, and Holophryidae, respectively, demonstrating that their diagnostic characteristics bear an evolutionary signal at the family level.

New remains of the enormous hoplophorine glyptodont Uruguayurus Mones, 1987 (Mammalia, Cingulata) in a particular faunistic association, Raigón Formation (Pliocene–middle Pleistocene), Uruguay

A new specimen of the poorly known glyptodont Uruguayurus Mones, 1987, is described on the basis of a large portion of the caudal tube from Arazatí Harbor, San José Department, Uruguay. This fossil is attributed to the Raigón Formation (Pliocene–middle Pleistocene), which crops out in the coastal cliffs of the referenced locality. This unit shows a particular faunal association characterized by endemic species, other representatives of the South American Cenozoic and others of North American origin. The material described herein shows diagnostic characteristics that allow to consider it an hoplophorine glyptodont, pertaining to the genus referred to above, similar to and the probable descendant from the smaller Pseudoplohophorus Castellanos, 1926, which is abundant in deposits of the underlying Camacho Formation (late Miocene) at the same locality. On the basis of this finding, the knownledge of Uruguayurus is increased and its diagnosis expanded. The new specimen has a larger, flatter, and more symmetrical caudal tube than the specimens previously described, named U. authochthonus Mones1987, and U. lydekkeri (Mones, 1987). It is also distinguished from those morphotypes by having an interapical groove of intermedial width, very large apical and first lateral figures, and more abundant and clearly delimited peripheral figurines on the dorsal surface. For now, these differences could be attributed to intraspecific variations within Uruguayurus authochthonus.

Flexible use of facial features supports face identity processing.

People prioritize diagnostic features in classification tasks. However, it is not clear whether this priority is fixed or is flexibly applied depending on the specific classification decision, or how feature use behavior contributes to individual differences in performance. Here we examined whether flexibility in features used in a face identification task supports face recognition ability. In Experiment 1, we show that the facial features most useful for identification vary-to a surprising degree-depending on the specific face identity comparison at hand. While the ears and eyes were the most diagnostic for face identification in general, they were the most diagnostic feature for just 22% and 14% of identity decisions, respectively. In three subsequent experiments, we find that flexibility in feature use contributes to an individual's face identity matching ability. Higher face identification accuracy was associated with being aware of (Experiments 2 and 4) and attending to (Experiments 3 and 4) the most diagnostic features for a specific facial comparison. This conferred an enhanced benefit relative to focusing on features that were diagnostic of face identity decisions in general (Experiment 4). We conclude that adaptability in information sampling supports face recognition ability and discuss theoretical and applied implications. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Quantifying Marine Oil Slick using the Hydrocarbon Spectra Slope Index (HYSS): A Case Study of the 2010 Deep-water Horizon Spill in the Gulf of Mexico

Mapping the extent and quantifying oil slick in ocean spills is one of the major objectives for monitoring and clean-up programs. Hyperspectral sensors are among the few remote sensing tools with potential for quantifying hydrocarbon oil on water and on other background substrates. At present, methods used to process hyperspectral data for quantifying hydrocarbon oil relies on delineating shapes and wavelength position of key diagnostic features within shortwave infrared (SWIR), particularly at 1.73µm and 2.30µm, which are often affected by the spectral features from the background substrates. Rather than the shape, the absorption maxima of hydrocarbon diagnostic features has shown potential for quantifying oil slick abundance classes via the Hydrocarbon Spectral Slope index (HYSS). In this research, the discriminative power of HYSS index for quantifying ocean oil slick is demonstrated, using Advance Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data from the 2010 Deep-water Horizon (DHW) spill from the Macondo well-head in the Gulf of Mexico. The results suggest good discrimination of oil and water as well as quantification of the oil slick into different oil abundance classes, representing different oil-water ratio and/or thickness. The validation of HYSS results shows good agreement with visual records of the spill within the image scene. Five oil abundance classes were discernible from studied AVIRIS scenes. These results were obtained empirically, without site-specific reference spectra, suggestive of a potential index for rapid broad area search. Change detection statistics of oil coverage at three separate intersects (ITT 1, ITT 2, and ITT 3) with before and after image coverage show reduced oil coverage percentages of 70%, 11.5%, and 0% respectively. These percentage reductions are in agreement with visual display of oil coverage as affected by dispersion induced by ocean currents and chemical dispersant application within the respective time lags of these image data acquisition.

The material relating to the anatomy of Rhaponticum serratuloides leaf blades according to age conditions

In the article the features of the morphological and anatomical structure of leaf blades in the process of ontogenesis of Rhaponticum serratuloides Georgi (Bobr.) during juvenile, immature, virginal, generative and senile age states were presented. It was noted that as the plant matures, the degree of dissection and linear dimensions of the leaf blades, as well as their vascular bundles and trichomes, increase. It was established that in the juvenile and immature periods of development whole and elliptical leaves predominate. In the virginal state, in addition to the typical entire leaves, leaves with an unpaired pinnate leaf blade appear. The generative state of Rh. serratuloides is characterized by having upper leaves as entire, sessile; the lower ones are petiolate, pinnately lobed with a large apical lobe. In the senile state, leaves of immature and virginal types are found. General patterns of leaf internal structure of Rh. serratuloides and another representative of the same genus Rh.carthamoides Willd (Iljin) were revealed as following: the plants are of dorsal-ventral type of leaf blade structure, with collateral vascular bundles of a closed type with a sclerenchyma covering and leaf pubescence. Along with this, characteristic diagnostic features for leaves of Rh. serratuloides were described as the following: the absence of capitate glands and long cord-like hairs during all age states, the presence of air-bearing cavities in the parenchyma of virginal and senile plants, associated with the habitat of the plant under study, because it grows in flooded meadows, along the shores of lakes and swamps.

Estudio palinológico de las Licofitas (Lycopodiopsida) de las Sierras Pampeanas centrales de Argentina

Background and aims: The Sierras Pampeanas Centrales of Argentina constitute the fourth centre of diversity of lycophytes and ferns in the Cono Sur, where representatives of four families of lycophytes live: Huperziaceae, Lycopodiaceae, Isoetaceae and Selaginellaceae. The aim of this work is to provide data of the morphology of their spores observed with optical and scanning electron microscopes, as a contribution to the taxonomy and conservation. M&M: The materials were analysed without prior chemical treatment and photographic records were obtained with both observation equipments. Results: The morphological diagnostic features of the spores are presented. The Huperziaceae and Lycopodiaceae are isosporous with trilete spores. Huperziaceae presents foveolated or fossulated spores, while Lycopodiaceae spores are reticulate, scabrate and baculate. In Isoetes hieronymi (heterosporate), the microspores are monolete with echinate ornamentation, while the megaspores are trilete, with reticulate ornamentation. The Selaginellaceae, all heterosporate, produce trilete microspores and megaspores, both with varied ornamentation. Conclusions: Spore characteristics provide relevant information for regional floristic studies as well as for taxonomic assignments, both of extant flora and fossil records. Also, for studies of the composition of soil spore banks as a tool for the conservation of local floristic biodiversity.

Information-extreme machine learning of an ophthalmic diagnostic system with a hierarchical class structure

The paper considers the method of hierarchical information-extreme machine learning for the system of ophthalmic diagnosis of eye pathology. Since the proposed method is developed within the framework of a functional approach to modeling the cognitive processes of natural intelligence, it, unlike neuro-like structures, acquires the properties of flexibility when retraining a diagnostic system and requires an order of magnitude fewer image samples. In addition, the decision rules based on the results of machine learning within the geometric approach in the form of a binary hierarchical structure of recognition classes ensure their practical invariance to the multidimensionality of both the space of diagnostic features and the alphabet of recognition classes. The modified Kullback-Leibler information measure, which is considered as a function of the accuracy of classification solutions, is chosen as a criterion for optimizing the parameters of the machine learning system for diagnosing eye pathologies. A hierarchical information-extreme machine learning algorithm for an ophthalmic diagnostic system for six eye pathologies was developed and programmatically implemented. Based on the results of functional diagnostics, it has been experimentally proved that the constructed decision rules are error-free according to the training matrices of recognition classes of each level of the constructed binary hierarchical structure.