Disease Classification System Research Articles

Evaluation of the Application of APACHE II Combined With NIHSS Score in the Short-Term Prognosis of Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage Patient.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effects of combining Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Disease Classification System II (APACHE II) scores and the NIHSS score for short-term prognosis of cerebral hemorrhage patients.Methods: APACHE II and NIHSS scores were respectively carried out for 189 acute cerebral hemorrhage patients who were admitted to the hospital for 24 h, and the area under ROC curve was used to measure the ability of these score systems to forecast the prognosis, in order to find the best dividing value. The discriminant analysis method should be used to carry out a comprehensive analysis of these two score methods and establish the mathematical model to provide a reasonable basis for accurately mastering these illness conditions, and its prognosis.Results: The areas under the ROC curve of APACHE II and NIHSS scores in forecasting cerebral hemorrhage prognosis was 0.853 and 0.845, respectively, the dividing value was 15 and 17, respectively, and the forecasting accuracy was 77.2 and 79.9%, respectively; The forecasting accuracy of the combined discrimination model was 85.96%.Conclusion: APACHE II and NIHSS scores have good forecasting value to the short-term prognosis of acute cerebral hemorrhage patients, and the combination of these two can provide a higher forecasting value.

PF579 TUMOR CIRCULATING PLASMA CELLS DETECTED BY FLOW CYTOMETRIC SINGLE PLATFORM METHOD ARE RELATED TO NEGATIVE PATIENTS‘ CHARACTERISTICS IN MULTIPLE MYELOMA

Background:Multiple myeloma (MM) is a clinically heterogeneous disease and several classification systems have been developed to stratify patients in low, intermediate or high risk. Tumor Circulating Plasma Cells (TCPC) are considered a marker of high‐risk disease in all plasma cell disorders. To date, different methods are available to detect TCPC in peripheral blood, but they are barely reproducible and time consuming.Aims:For the first time the amount of TCPC was quantified in newly diagnosed MM patients with a single platform flow cytometric method and was evaluated their correlation with patients‘ baseline characteristics.Methods:Whole peripheral blood (PB) samples from 413 newly diagnosed young MM patients enrolled in the UNITO‐MM‐01/FORTE trial were included in the study. For the single platform technique, the antibody combination CD38PC7/CD138PC5.5/CD45KO/ CD56PE/CD19PB was mixed with 100 μL of EDTA PB, dispensed with reverse pipetting, and incubated for 15 min at RT, added with 500 μL of lysing solution and, after 15 min, 100 μL of flow count fluorospheres were dispensed with reverse pipetting and cells acquired with Navios flow cytometer. Intracytoplasmic kappa and lambda were tested to confirm the TCPC clonality.Results:Circulating Plasma Cells (CPC) were found in 390 out of 413 samples (94.4%), with median values of 0.03% (range: 0%>51%) and 2.37/mm3 (range: 0/mm3–6272/mm3). White blood cells were 5710/mm3 (range: 1752/mm3–26102/mm3); median CPC events 58 (range: 0–441.000); cellular events acquired were 190.000 (range: 4.428–1.300.000).TCPC were found in 272 samples (66%) with a median value of 1.24/mm3 (range 0.06/mm3 ‐ 6272/mm3).Patients were stratified according to different baseline characteristics and median values of absolute TCPC were compared. The most significant statistical differences (p < 0.001) were: Hb <10 (12.9/mm3) vs ≥10 (0.81/mm3); ISS I (0.30/mm3) vs ISS II (2.85/mm3) vs ISS III (5.14/mm3); R‐ISS I (0.25/mm3) vs II (2.76/mm3) vs III (5.14/mm3); Albumin <3.5 g/dL (2.76/mm3) vs ≥3.5 g/dL (1.05/mm3); β2‐microglobulin <3.5 mg/dL (0.67/mm3) vs 3.5 mg/dL‐5.5 mg/dL (3.88/mm3) vs >5.5 mg/dL (16.47/mm3); LDH ≤upper limit (1.14/mm3) vs >upper limit (7.36/mm3); PC in biopsy <60% (0.60/mm3) vs ≥60% (2.76/mm3); with 1q gain (3.18/mm3) vs without (1.18/mm3); Morgan risk Standard (1.16/mm3) vs High (3.00/mm3) (presence of del17 and/or t(4;14) and/or t(14;16) and/or 1q gain).Moreover, the TCPC were sorted in quartiles according to the absolute values (0/mm3–0/mm3, 0/mm3–1.24/mm3, 1.24/mm3–8.3/mm3, 8.3/mm3–6272/mm3) and a correlation between the increasing levels of TCPC and the parameters mentioned above was observed.The most significant correlations expressed by Cramer's V were observed between TCPC and: hemoglobin (V = 0.41), ≥60% of plasma cells in biopsy (V = 0.28), ISS (V = 0.26), β2‐microglobulin <3.5 mg/dL vs 3.5 mg/dL‐5.5 mg/dL vs >5.5 mg/dL (V = 0.26), R‐ISS (V = 0.24), Morgan risk (V = 0.24 p < 0.001), 1q gain (V = 0.24) all with a p < 0.001.Summary/Conclusion:The single platform flow cytometric method allowed us to quantify TCPC in a high number of MM patients and the values obtained were strongly related to the worst clinical and cytogenetic features. This method is fast, not expensive, feasible with a small amount of PB and can be easily performed in a high number of patients.

Paddy Leaf Disease Identification and Classification System A Review

Paddy Leaf Disease Identification and Classification System A Review

Proceedings of the fourth international molecular pathological epidemiology (MPE) meeting.

An important premise of epidemiology is that individuals with the same disease share similar underlying etiologies and clinical outcomes. In the past few decades, our knowledge of disease pathogenesis has improved, and disease classification systems have evolved to the point where no complex disease processes are considered homogenous. As a result, pathology and epidemiology have been integrated into the single, unified field of molecular pathological epidemiology (MPE). Advancing integrative molecular and population-level health sciences and addressing the unique research challenges specific to the field of MPE necessitates assembling experts in diverse fields, including epidemiology, pathology, biostatistics, computational biology, bioinformatics, genomics, immunology, and nutritional and environmental sciences. Integrating these seemingly divergent fields can lead to a greater understanding of pathogenic processes. The International MPE Meeting Series fosters discussion that addresses the specific research questions and challenges in this emerging field. The purpose of the meeting series is to: discuss novel methods to integrate pathology and epidemiology; discuss studies that provide pathogenic insights into population impact; and educate next-generation scientists. Herein, we share the proceedings of the Fourth International MPE Meeting, held in Boston, MA, USA, on 30 May-1 June, 2018. Major themes of this meeting included 'integrated genetic and molecular pathologic epidemiology', 'immunology-MPE', and 'novel disease phenotyping'. The key priority areas for future research identified by meeting attendees included integration of tumor immunology and cancer disparities into epidemiologic studies, further collaboration between computational and population-level scientists to gain new insight on exposure-disease associations, and future pooling projects of studies with comparable data.

Health care professionals' knowledge and awareness of the ICD-10 coding system for assigning the cause of perinatal deaths in Jordanian hospitals.

ObjectivesThere is a lack of studying vital registration and disease classification systems in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to assess health care professionals’ (HCPs’) level of awareness, knowledge, use, and perceived barriers of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th version (ICD-10) as well as their perceptions of the electronic neonatal death registration system.Participants and methodsA mixed method approach including descriptive cross-sectional quantitative and focus groups with HCPs (physicians, nurses, and midwives) was used to collect data from four major selected hospitals in Jordan. A total of 16 focus groups were conducted. Also, a survey, which included three case studies about the ability of nurses and physicians to identify cause of death, was completed using structured face-to-face interviews.ResultsOverall, there was congruency between both the quantitative results and the qualitative findings. The majority of nurses and physicians in the four hospitals were not familiar with the ICD-10 coding system and hence reported minimal use of the coding system. Additionally, the majority of HCPs were not aware whether or not their departments used the ICD-10 to record perinatal mortality. These HCPs identified that lack of knowledge, time, staff and support, and an effective and comprehensive electronic system that allows physicians to accurately choose the exact cause of death were their main barriers to the use of the ICD-10 coding system.ConclusionOur findings emphasize the importance of developing an effective and comprehensive electronic system which allows HCPs to accurately report and register all perinatal deaths. This system needs to account for the direct and indirect causes of death and for contributing factors such as maternal conditions at the time of perinatal death. Training HCPs on how to use the system is vital for the success and accuracy of the data registration process.

The APACHE II Score as a Predictor of Mortality After Open Heart Surgery.

The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) severity of disease classification system, which is one of the most widely used scoring systems to predict mortality, is used for intensive care units (ICU) patients. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive ability of APACHE II for mortality in patients after undergoing cardiac surgery. We studied if APACHE II could successfully predict the outcome in post-cardiac surgery patients. This study involved retrospective data collection of all adult patients who were admitted to Ordu State Hospital cardiovascular surgery ICU following cardiac surgery from August 2013 to December 2015. Area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) values were calculated for the APACHE II model. During the two years of data collection, we included 600 patients with a mean age of 64.77±10.148 years. Of these, 180 (30.0%) were females. The ICU mortality rate was 8.33%, and the mean length of ICU stay was 4.210±6.913 days. The mean pre-operative EuroSCORE was 3.890±2.565, and the mean pre-operative APACHE II score was 6.790±3.617. The AUC values for APACHE II and EuroSCORE were 0.743 and 0.767, respectively. The APACHE II model can be used to predict mortality in a Turkish population of patients who have undergone cardiac surgery.

New classification system for periodontal and peri-implant diseases

Dental UpdateVol. 46, No. 1 Guest Editorial/PeriodonticsNew classification system for periodontal and peri-implant diseasesPhil OwerPhil OwerSearch for more papers by this authorPhil OwerPublished Online:18 Jan 2019https://doi.org/10.12968/denu.2019.46.1.8AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article References 1 Armitage G. Development of a classification system for periodontal disease and conditions. Ann Periodontol 1999; 4: 1–6. Medline, Google Scholar2 Proceedings of the World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and peri-implant Diseases and Conditions. J Clin Periodontol 2018; 45(Suppl 20): S1–S291. Medline, Google Scholar3 Dietrich T, Ower P, Tank M, West NX, Walter C, Needleman I, Hughes FJ, Wadia R, Milward MR, Hodge PJ, Chapple ILC, on behalf of the British Society of Periodontology. Periodontal diagnosis in the context of the 2017 classification system of periodontal diseases and conditions – implementation in clinical practice. Br Dent J 2019; 226: 1–7 doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2019.3. Medline, Google Scholar4 Briggs L. Probing deeper into periodontics claims. DDU Journal 2014; Apr: 9–21 (https://www.theddu.com/guidance-and-advice/journals/march-2014/probing-deeper-into-periodontics-claims) Google Scholar5 The Basic Periodontal Examination. British Society of Periodontology, 2016. (http://www.bsperio.org.uk/publications/downloads/94_154250_bpe-2016-po-v5-final-002.pdf) Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 2 January 2019Volume 46Issue 1ISSN (print): 0305-5000ISSN (online): 2515-589X Metrics History Published online 18 January 2019 Published in print 2 January 2019 Information© George Warman Publications (UK) LimitedPDF download

Periodontal diagnosis in the context of the 2017 classification system of periodontal diseases and conditions - implementation in clinical practice.

The 2017 World Workshop Classification system for periodontal and peri-implant diseases and conditions was developed in order to accommodate advances in knowledge derived from both biological and clinical research, that have emerged since the 1999 International Classification of Periodontal Diseases. Importantly, it defines clinical health for the first time, and distinguishes an intact and a reduced periodontium throughout. The term 'aggressive periodontitis' was removed, creating a staging and grading system for periodontitis that is based primarily upon attachment and bone loss and classifies the disease into four stages based on severity (I, II, III or IV) and three grades based on disease susceptibility (A, B or C). The British Society of Periodontology (BSP) convened an implementation group to develop guidance on how the new classification system should be implemented in clinical practice. A particular focus was to describe how the new classification system integrates with established diagnostic parameters and pathways, such as the basic periodontal examination (BPE). This implementation plan focuses on clinical practice; for research, readers are advised to follow the international classification system. In this paper we describe a diagnostic pathway for plaque-induced periodontal diseases that is consistent with established guidance and accommodates the novel 2017 classification system, as recommended by the BSP implementation group. Subsequent case reports will provide examples of the application of this guidance in clinical practice.

Automated Corneal Segmentation of Anterior Segment Photographed Images using Centroid-Based Active Contour Model

In this paper, we propose an automatic Active Contour Model (ACM) using corneal centroid information for corneal segmentation. The algorithm was validated on 259 of Anterior Segment Photographed Images (ASPIs) that were captured using a smartphone. The proposed system comprises of four components; a) data collection, b) pre-processing, c) corneal segmentation using proposed automated centroid-based ACM, and (d) feature extraction. There were five corneal shape parameters employed, namely Horizontal Visible Iris Diameter (HVID), Vertical Visible Iris Diameter (VVID), eccentricity, asphericity and solidity. Each of these parameters has its own significant features in measuring the corneal shape quantitatively, which could potentially assist the ophthalmologists during a screening process. Using all ASPIs, the findings show that this method is competent in segmenting 231 corneal regions while Circular Hough Transform method only manage to segment 165 regions successfully. These segmentation results demonstrate a bright potential towards the development of intelligent classification system for ocular diseases.

Myopic maculopathy: Current status and proposal for a new classification and grading system (ATN).

Myopia is a highly frequent ocular disorder worldwide and pathologic myopia is the 4th most common cause of irreversible blindness in developed countries. Pathologic myopia is especially common in East Asian countries. Ocular alterations associated with pathologic myopia, especially those involving the macular area-defined as myopic maculopathy-are the leading causes of vision loss in patients with pathologic myopia. High myopia is defined as the presence of a highly negative refractive error (>-6 to -8 diopters) in the context of eye elongation (26-26.5 mm). Although the terms high myopia and pathologic myopia are often used interchangeably, they do not refer to the same eye disease. The two key factors driving the development of pathologic myopia are: 1) elongation of the axial length and 2) posterior staphyloma. The presence of posterior staphyloma, which is the most common finding in patients with pathologic myopia, is the key differentiating factor between high and pathologic myopia. The occurrence of staphyloma will, in most cases, eventually lead to other conditions such as atrophic, traction, or neovascular maculopathy. Posterior staphyloma is for instance, responsible for the differences between a myopic macular hole (MH)-with and without retinal detachment-and idiopathic MH. Posterior staphyloma typically induces retinal layer splitting, leading to foveoschisis in myopic MH, an important differentiating factor between myopic and emmetropic MH. Myopic maculopathy is a highly complex disease and current classification systems do not fully account for the numerous changes that occur in the macula of these patients. Therefore, a more comprehensive classification system is needed, for several important reasons. First, to more precisely define the disease stage to improve follow-up by enabling clinicians to more accurately monitor changes over time, which is essential given the progressive nature of this condition. Second, unification of the currently-available classification systems would establish standardized classification criteria that could be used to compare the findings from international multicentric studies. Finally, a more comprehensive classification system could help to improve our understanding of the genetic origins of this disease, which is clearly relevant given the interchangeable-but erroneous-use of the terms high and pathologic myopia in genetic research.

Fully convolutional multi-scale residual DenseNets for cardiac segmentation and automated cardiac diagnosis using ensemble of classifiers.

Deep fully convolutional neural network (FCN) based architectures have shown great potential in medical image segmentation. However, such architectures usually have millions of parameters and inadequate number of training samples leading to over-fitting and poor generalization. In this paper, we present a novel DenseNet based FCN architecture for cardiac segmentation which is parameter and memory efficient. We propose a novel up-sampling path which incorporates long skip and short-cut connections to overcome the feature map explosion in conventional FCN based architectures. In order to process the input images at multiple scales and view points simultaneously, we propose to incorporate Inception module's parallel structures. We propose a novel dual loss function whose weighting scheme allows to combine advantages of cross-entropy and Dice loss leading to qualitative improvements in segmentation. We demonstrate computational efficacy of incorporating conventional computer vision techniques for region of interest detection in an end-to-end deep learning based segmentation framework. From the segmentation maps we extract clinically relevant cardiac parameters and hand-craft features which reflect the clinical diagnostic analysis and train an ensemble system for cardiac disease classification. We validate our proposed network architecture on three publicly available datasets, namely: (i) Automated Cardiac Diagnosis Challenge (ACDC-2017), (ii) Left Ventricular segmentation challenge (LV-2011), (iii) 2015 Kaggle Data Science Bowl cardiac challenge data. Our approach in ACDC-2017 challenge stood second place for segmentation and first place in automated cardiac disease diagnosis tasks with an accuracy of 100% on a limited testing set (n=50). In the LV-2011 challenge our approach attained 0.74 Jaccard index, which is so far the highest published result in fully automated algorithms. In the Kaggle challenge our approach for LV volume gave a Continuous Ranked Probability Score (CRPS) of 0.0127, which would have placed us tenth in the original challenge. Our approach combined both cardiac segmentation and disease diagnosis into a fully automated framework which is computationally efficient and hence has the potential to be incorporated in computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) tools for clinical application.

Timing of Renal-Replacement Therapy in Patients with Acute Kidney Injury and Sepsis

BackgroundAcute kidney injury is the most frequent complication in patients with septic shock and is an independent risk factor for death. Although renal-replacement therapy is the standard of care for severe acute kidney injury, the ideal time for initiation remains controversial.MethodsIn a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial, we assigned patients with early-stage septic shock who had severe acute kidney injury at the failure stage of the risk, injury, failure, loss, and end-stage kidney disease (RIFLE) classification system but without life-threatening complications related to acute kidney injury to receive renal-replacement therapy either within 12 hours after documentation of failure-stage acute kidney injury (early strategy) or after a delay of 48 hours if renal recovery had not occurred (delayed strategy). The failure stage of the RIFLE classification system is characterized by a serum creatinine level 3 times the baseline level (or ≥4 mg per deciliter with a rapid increase of ≥0.5 mg per deciliter), urine output less than 0.3 ml per kilogram of body weight per hour for 24 hours or longer, or anuria for at least 12 hours. The primary outcome was death at 90 days.ResultsThe trial was stopped early for futility after the second planned interim analysis. A total of 488 patients underwent randomization; there were no significant between-group differences in the characteristics at baseline. Among the 477 patients for whom follow-up data at 90 days were available, 58% of the patients in the early-strategy group (138 of 239 patients) and 54% in the delayed-strategy group (128 of 238 patients) had died (P=0.38). In the delayed-strategy group, 38% (93 patients) did not receive renal-replacement therapy. Criteria for emergency renal-replacement therapy were met in 17% of the patients in the delayed-strategy group (41 patients).ConclusionsAmong patients with septic shock who had severe acute kidney injury, there was no significant difference in overall mortality at 90 days between patients who were assigned to an early strategy for the initiation of renal-replacement therapy and those who were assigned to a delayed strategy. (Funded by the French Ministry of Health; IDEAL-ICU ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01682590.)

Women manifest more severe COPD symptoms across the life course.

BackgroundPrevious studies suggest that gender differences exist in COPD diagnosis and symptoms; these differences may be more pronounced in younger adults. Our objective was to explore age-associated gender differences across a range of COPD severities.Materials and methodsA total of 4,484 current and former smokers with COPD from the Genetic Epidemiology of COPD cohort were investigated using regression modeling to explore the association between gender, age, disease severity, and the contributing elements of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) classification system (symptoms, exacerbation risk, airflow limitation).ResultsThe age–gender interaction was observed across multiple age categories. Compared to men with COPD, younger women with COPD had a greater likelihood of more severe dyspnea, airflow limitation, greater risk for exacerbations, and categorization in GOLD groups B and D. These differences were less pronounced in older women with COPD. However, older women remained more likely to experience severe dyspnea and to manifest more severe COPD (B vs A) than older men, despite lower pack-years of smoking.ConclusionThese data demonstrate the significant symptom burden of COPD in women, especially younger women. More research is needed to understand the pathogenesis of increased severity of COPD in women and to develop gender-targeted clinical assessment and management approaches to improve outcomes for women and men with COPD at all ages.

An Improved Heart Disease Classification System Using Probabilistic Principal Component Analysis and K-Nearest Neighborhood

An Improved Heart Disease Classification System Using Probabilistic Principal Component Analysis and K-Nearest Neighborhood

Can pharmacotherapy help persistent genital arousal disorder?

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD) is a presumably rare, although debilitating condition, which was first defined only at the beginning of this century and has not yet found consideration by any of the international classification systems of diseases. As affected patients can suffer tremendously, this report aims at providing an overview and an expert opinion on the few existing studies and case reports, guiding clinicians in the treatment and pharmacotherapy of PGAD.Areas covered: In this article case reports, case series and surveys on drugs that may both alleviate or worsen/induce PGAD are reported.Expert opinion: Data on pharmacological treatment options in PGAD are sparse and mainly rely on case reports making conclusions difficult. Most importantly, some drugs such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may even induce or worsen PGAD during treatment or withdrawal. We now need an initial spark in order to promote basic research on the etiology of PGAD as well as clinical trials on possible treatment options. In the meanwhile, clinicians should provide careful diagnostics and counseling for affected patients. In case pharmacotherapy is desired, drugs that are able to inhibit sexual excitation and/or modulate sensory perception such as pregabalin or duloxetin might be worth a trial.

Improving Quality of Congenital Heart Disease Research in Canada: Standardizing Nomenclature Across Canada

In an effort to improve the quality of interinstitutional and nation-wide research into congenital heart disease (CHD) in Canada, the authors propose the national implementation of a single nomenclature list for CHD as a first step towards achieving a common disease classification system in all Canadian institutions that deal with congenital heart malformations. The authors offer a brief overview of the history and state of nomenclature for CHD in Canada and recommend the national use of the CHD diagnostic list that was recently finalized by the International Society for Nomenclature of Paediatric and Congenital Heart Disease. This list was submitted to the World Health Organization for incorporation into the 11th iteration of the International Classification of Diseases and was recently translated into French by members of the International Society for Nomenclature of Paediatric and Congenital Heart Disease. The bilingual list of the 11th iteration of the International Classification of Diseases CHD terms is published online in this issue of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology. The national standardization of the nomenclature pertaining to CHD using the bilingual list of terms published herein will optimize national efforts to establish longitudinal CHD cohorts, capitalizing on Canada’s health care infrastructure and solidifying Canadian leadership in CHD research.

Ethnopharmacology of Love.

Background: Elixirs conferring eternal youth or inducing amatory and erotic attraction have been searched for without success. Lovesickness is a widespread affliction resulting from unrequited love and/or the impossibility for physical and emotional union. The symptoms are reflections of altered dopamine, serotonin, noradrenaline, testosterone and cortisol levels and range from frenzy and intrusive thinking to despair and depression, sharing traits with the neurochemistry of addiction and compulsive behavior disorder. Although it can seriously impact the quality of life, lovesickness is currently not considered in official disease classification systems. Consequently, no official therapeutic guidelines exist, leaving subjects to seek the cure on their own.Methods: We review literature of the past 2000 years dealing with the concept, diagnosis and the healing of lovesickness and contextualize it with neurochemical, ethnomedical, and ethnographic data. Since neurobiological and pharmacological connections between the love drive and the sex drive exist, we review also the literature about herbal an- and aphrodisiacs, focusing on their excitatory or calmative potential.Results: An overall consensus regarding socio-behavioral regimes exists for dealing with lovesickness from historical through contemporary literature. The herbal drugs used for treating lovesickness or inducing love passion do not possess the alleged properties. The pharmacological effects of aphrodisiacs are heterogeneous, including dopaminergic and adrenergic activities, but there is no evidence for any serotonergic effects. The libido-regulating properties of anaphrodisiacs seem to be associated with sedative and toxic effects or decreasing testosterone levels. CB2 receptors expressed on dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area, part of the brain’s reward circuit, implicated with addiction, orgasm and strong emotions such as love, might constitute a new therapeutic target.Conclusion: The common food additive and CB2 agonist β-caryophyllene might have the potential to attenuate dopaminergic firing, quenching the reward and thus motivation associated with romantic love. From Greek mythology to modern history, cultural expressions and implications of love, sex and procreation is and was organized along hierarchical lines that put men on top. The neuronal predispositions and activities associated with falling in love will probably forever remain nature’s and Eros’ secret.

Feline maculopapular cutaneous mastocytosis: a retrospective study of 13 cases and proposal for a new classification.

Cutaneous mastocytosis is a disorder rarely reported in veterinary dermatology and usually described as 'urticaria pigmentosa'. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnosis, treatment and outcome of 13 affected cats, selected from the files of a private referral dermatology practice within a period of 14 years. Breeds of the affected individuals included Sphynx (n = 9), Devon Rex (n = 2) and Sphynx/Devon Rex crossbreeds (n = 2). Females (n = 9) were over-represented and the median duration of clinical signs prior to diagnosis was 8 months. The clinical presentation of these 13 cats was compared with cases reported in the veterinary literature and classified according to the current human consensus on cutaneous mastocytosis. Three clinical forms could be distinguished in cats: (1) large papular lesions and wheals, typically localised to the head, shoulders, ventral neck and axillae, and which may spontaneously resolve (termed polymorphic maculopapular cutaneous mastocytosis); (2) erythematous dermatitis, characterised by small maculopapular lesions often associated with crusts and with a poorer prognosis (termed monomorphic maculopapular cutaneous mastocytosis); and (3) more chronic dermatitis characterised by lichenification and hyperpigmentation, similar to the human condition 'urticaria pigmentosa' (termed pigmented maculopapular cutaneous mastocytosis). Histopathology was performed in eight cases and revealed a superficial-to-deep dermatitis characterised by infiltrates of mast cells and eosinophils. The response to various treatments, including antihistamines, steroids and ciclosporin, was variable. This article reports 13 new cases of feline cutaneous mastocytosis, confirming the clinical presentation and apparent breed predisposition. The feline maculopapular cutaneous mastocytosis seems to be clinically very close to the human form. This study proposes a new classification system for the feline disease based on the current human consensus, clinical presentation and prognosis, with three different subforms: polymorphic maculopapular cutaneous mastocytosis with eventual spontaneous regression; monomorphic maculopapular cutaneous mastocytosis with chronic evolution; and pigmented maculopapular cutaneous mastocytosis.

Semi‐automatic leaf disease detection and classification system for soybean culture

Development of automatic disease detection and classification system is significantly explored in precision agriculture. In the past few decades, researchers have studied several cultures exploiting different parts of a plant. A similar study is performed for Soybean using leaf images. A rule based semi-automatic system using concepts of k -means is designed and implemented to distinguish healthy leaves from diseased leaves. In addition, a diseased leaf is classified into one of the three categories ( downy mildew , frog eye , and Septoria leaf blight ). Experiments are performed by separately utilising colour features, texture features, and their combinations to train three models based on support vector machine classifier. Results are generated using thousands of images collected from PlantVillage dataset. Acceptable average accuracy values are reported for all the considered combinations which are also found to be better than existing ones. This study also attempts to discover the best performing feature set for leaf disease detection in Soybean. The system is shown to efficiently compute the disease severity as well. Visual examination of leaf samples further proves the suitability of the proposed system for detection, classification, and severity calculation.

Dental plaque-induced gingival conditions.

This review proposes revisions to the current classification system for gingival diseases and provides a rationale for how it differs from the 1999 classification system. Gingival inflammation in response to bacterial plaque accumulation (microbial biofilms) is considered the key risk factor for the onset of periodontitis. Thus, control of gingival inflammation is essential for the primary prevention of periodontitis. The clinical characteristics common to dental plaque-induced inflammatory gingival conditions include: a) clinical signs and symptoms of inflammation that are confined to the gingiva: b) reversibility of the inflammation by removing or disrupting the biofilm; c) the presence of a high bacterial plaque burden to initiate the inflammation; d) systemic modifying factors (e.g., hormones, systemic disorders, drugs) which can alter the severity of the plaque-induced inflammation and; e) stable (i.e., non-changing) attachment levels on a periodontium which may or may not have experienced a loss of attachment or alveolar bone. The simplified taxonomy of gingival conditions includes: 1) introduction of the term "incipient gingivitis;" 2) a description of the extent and severity of gingival inflammation; 3) a description of the extent and severity of gingival enlargement and; 4) a reduction of categories in the dental plaque-induced gingival disease taxonomy. Dental plaque-induced gingival inflammation is modified by various systemic and oral factors. The appropriate intervention is crucial for the prevention of periodontitis.