Morphological Differences Research Articles

Morphological evaluation for the narrowest section of the patent ductus arteriosus in infants by CT: a crucial point for device closure.

The minimum diameter of the patent ductus arteriosus measured in the lateral angiographic view is usually used to determine the device size. Sometimes the device can be easily removed from the patent ductus arteriosus, even if it appears to be the optimum size. From 2016 to 2021, 29 patients who underwent contrast-enhanced CT prior to patent ductus arteriosus closure included. Morphological evaluation of the narrowest part of the patent ductus arteriosus was performed on contrast-enhanced CT. We also examined whether there were differences in morphology depended on Krichenko classification, age, and the diameter of the narrowest portion of the patent ductus arteriosus. At the time of treatment, the median age was 4.8 (range, 1-52) months, and the median weight was 5.0 (2.5-12.7) kg. The median minimum vertical diameter of patent ductus arteriosus was 2.9 (1.6-6.6) mm. The narrowest patent ductus arteriosus part in the contrast CT imaging showed horizontal-to-vertical diameter ratios in the range of 1.0-1.7, with no case where the vertical diameter was larger than the horizontal diameter. The median horizontal-to-vertical diameter ratio by Krichenko type was: A, 1.22; C, 1.29; E, 1.62(p = 0.017). When classifying the patients into a group aged under six months (n = 21) and a group aged six months or older (n = 8), the respective median horizontal-to-vertical diameter ratio was 1.34 and 1.15 (p = 0.027). The vertical patent ductus arteriosus diameter was not correlated with the elliptical shape. Most patent ductus arteriosus cases have a horizontally oriented elliptical shape in this study. This characteristic showed high reproducibility and is important information that angiography cannot evaluate.

Interdependence of Support Wettability ‐Electrodeposition Rate ‐ Sodium Metal Anode and SEI Microstructure

This study examines how current collector support chemistry (sodiophilic intermetallic Na2Te vs. sodiophobic baseline Cu) and electrodeposition rate affect microstructure of sodium metal and its solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Capacity and current (6 mAh cm‐2, 0.5‐3 mA cm‐2) representative of commercially relevant mass loading in anode‐free sodium metal battery (AF‐SMBs) are analyzed. Synchrotron X‐ray nanotomography and grazing‐incidence wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (GIWAXS) are combined with cryogenic focused ion beam (cryo‐FIB) microscopy. Highlighted are major differences in film morphology, internal porosity, and crystallographic preferred orientation e.g. (110) vs. (100) and (211) with support and deposition rate. Within the SEI, sodium fluoride (NaF) is more prevalent with Te‐Cu versus sodium hydride (NaH) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) with baseline Cu. Due to competitive grain growth the preferred orientation of sodium crystallites depends on film thickness. Mesoscale modelling delineates the role of SEI (ionic conductivity, morphology) on electrodeposit growth and onset of electrochemical instability.

Entomoneis parikhani sp.nov., Aras Nehri (İran)’nden yeni bir diatom (Entomoneidaceae, Bacillariophyta)

The diatom Entomoneis has a series of unique features such as connecting lines with different shapes, sigmoid raphe on the bilobate keel, different curtains, and multiple girdle bands. Most species belonging to this genus are found in marine and saline habitats. In fact, the genus Entomoneis is an epipelic diatom that is found in streams with high salinity and high electrolyte concentration. To date, no specific type of freshwater has been identified for this species. In this study, a new species of freshwater diatom, Entomoneis parikhani, is described based on detailed morphological observations using a scanning electron microscope. The samples were collected the Aras River near Oltan village of Parsabad city in the northwest Iran. A special feature of Entomoneis parikhani is its triple valve. The genus Entomoneis comprises of diatoms with sigmoidal raphe canals and girdle bands. This taxon is similar to Entomoneis annagodhei and Entomoneis tenera, as shown by LM and SEM observations, and there are sufficient morphological differences to separate Entomoneis parikhani. This new species had very small cells, delicate frustules without valve lines, and wide lanceolate valves. In this study, the wide distribution of this taxon in the Aras River has been evaluated.

Improving Beneficial Traits in Bacillus cabrialesii subsp. cabrialesii TE3T through UV-Induced Genomic Changes.

It is essential to hunt for new technologies that promote sustainable practices for agroecosystems; thus, the bioprospecting of beneficial microorganisms complementing with mutation induction techniques to improve their genomic, metabolic, and functional traits is a promising strategy for the development of sustainable microbial inoculants. Bacillus cabrialesii subsp. cabrialesii strain TE3T, a previously recognized plant growth-promoting and biological control agent, was subjected to UV mutation induction to improve these agro-biotechnological traits. Dilutions were made which were spread on Petri dishes and placed under a 20 W UV lamp at 10-min intervals for 60 min. After the UV-induced mutation of this strain, 27 bacterial colonies showed morphological differences compared to the wild-type strain; however, only a strain named TE3T-UV25 showed an improvement in 53.6% of the biocontrol against Bipolaris sorokiniana vs. the wild-type strain, by competition of nutrient and space (only detected in the mutant strain), as well as diffusible metabolites. Furthermore, the ability to promote wheat growth was evaluated by carrying out experiments under specific greenhouse conditions, considering un-inoculated, strain TE3T, and strain TE3T-UV25 treatments. Thus, after 120 days, biometric traits in seedlings were quantified and statistical analyses were performed, which showed that strain TE3T-UV25 maintained its ability to promote wheat growth in comparison with the wild-type strain. On the other hand, using bioinformatics tools such as ANI, GGDC, and TYGS, the Overall Genome Relatedness Index (OGRI) and phylogenomic relationship of mutant strain TE3T-UV25 were performed, confirming that it changed its taxonomic affiliation from B. cabrialesii subsp. cabrialesii to Bacillus subtilis. In addition, genome analysis showed that the mutant, wild-type, and B. subtilis strains shared 3654 orthologous genes; however, a higher number of shared genes (3954) was found between the TE3T-UV25 mutant strain and B. subtilis 168, while the mutant strain shared 3703 genes with the wild-type strain. Genome mining was carried out using the AntiSMASH v7.0 web server and showed that mutant and wild-type strains shared six biosynthetic gene clusters associated with biocontrol but additionally, pulcherriminic acid cluster only was detected in the genome of the mutant strain and Rhizocticin A was exclusively detected in the genome of the wild-type strain. Finally, using the PlaBase tool, differences in the number of genes (17) associated with beneficial functions in agroecosystems were detected in the genome of the mutant vs. wild-type strain, such as biofertilization, bioremediation, colonizing plant system, competitive exclusion, phytohormone, plant immune response stimulation, putative functions, stress control, and biocontrol. Thus, the UV-induced mutation was a successful strategy to improve the bioactivity of B. cabrialesii subsp. cabrialesii TE3T related to the agro-biotecnology applications. The obtained mutant strain, B. subtilis TE3T-UV25, is a promising strain to be further studied as an active ingredient for the bioformulation of bacterial inoculants to migrate sustainable agriculture.

Probing the interplay of interactions, screening and strain in monolayer MoS2 via self-intercalation

Controlling many-body interactions in two-dimensional systems remains a formidable task from the perspective of both fundamental physics and application. Here, we explore remarkable electronic structure alterations of MoS2 monolayer islands on graphene on Ir(111) induced by non-invasive self-intercalation. This introduces significant differences in morphology and strain of MoS2 as a result of the modified interaction with the substrate. Consequently, considerable changes of the band gap and non-rigid electronic shifts of valleys are detected, which are a combined effect of the screening of the many-body interactions and strain in MoS2. Furthermore, theory shows that each substrate leaves a unique stamp on the electronic structure of two-dimensional material in terms of those two parameters, restricted by their correlation.

Variation of chin morphology and mandibular incisor length in different facial divergence patterns: New insights from CBCT records.

Evaluate constitutional differences in chin morphology and volume, and mandibular tooth size, between different facial divergence patterns. The sample consisted of 284 pretreatment cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of growing and non-growing patients who were stratified into 4 groups based on mandibular plane inclination to cranial base (SN) angle. Linear and angular measurements were made on the lateral CBCT images: mandibular lateral incisor crown (I-C) total (I-A) lengths, the distances between point D (centre of symphysis) and both incisor apex (D-A) and menton (D-Me) and between cemento-enamel junction and menton (CEJ-Me); chin width at the level of the central incisor apex (CWA) and point D (CWD); and the angles of the anterior and posterior symphyseal slopes. The volume of the symphysis was measured using a specialized 3D imaging software. Group differences and associations between parameters were gauged through the three-way ANOVA analysis. I-C, I-A, D-A, D-Me and CEJ-Me were greater in the hyperdivergent group (p < .001). CWA and CWD were wider in the hypodivergent group (p = .003). Volume of the chin and inter-slope angles were similar in all groups (p > .05). The anterior slope angle decreased with hyperdivegence (p < .005) in opposite pattern to the posterior slope angle (p < .005). Shape differences in mandibular symphysis were observed between opposite divergence patterns. Mandibular incisors were longer with hyperdivergence and shorter with hypodivergence. However, chin volumes were similar across divergence groups. These findings underline the role of genetic and environmental factors that impact facial growth.

Similarities and differences in morphology, CD31 and CD68 expression of male vs. female sinoatrial node and its surrounding atrial muscle in ageing and obesity

Research purposeThe sinoatrial node (SN) is the main pacemaker site, and it is located in the junctional area of the superior vena cava within the right atrium (RA). The precise micro-anatomy of the SN in males and females in ageing and obesity remains unclear. Basic proceduresHuman SN/RA specimens were dissected from 25 post-mortem hearts (preserved in 4 % formaldehyde solution), under Polish local ethical rules. The SN/RA tissue blocks were embedded in paraffin. Masson's Trichrome staining and immunohistochemistry for CD31 (a marker of endothelial cells) and CD68 (a marker of macrophages) were performed. Images at different magnifications were taken and analysed. 12-lead ECGs from 24 patients under Polish local ethical rules were obtained. Heart rate and P wave morphologies from lead II, lead III and lead aVF were analysed. Statistical analysis was performed with the unpaired t-test. Principal resultsHeart weight to body weight ratio was significantly higher in aged obese males vs. their female counterparts. In the RA samples, there was an increase in connective tissue and decreased myocyte content from aged obese females compared to aged obese males. Aged non-obese males had significantly increased cellular hypertrophy than the aged non-obese females. Both the aged obese and aged non-obese females showed more CD3 but less CD68 expressing cells than males. In the SN samples, CD31 and CD68 expressing cells were higher in both aged non-obese and aged obese males than their female counterparts. Major conclusionsAgeing and/or obesity are more likely to impact these cardiac tissues through increased inflammation, increased immune response and hypertrophy.

The Positional Effect of an Immobilized Re Tricarbonyl Catalyst for CO2 Reduction.

The storage of renewable energy through the conversion of CO2 to CO provides a viable solution for the intermittent nature of these energy sources. The immobilization of rhenium(I) tricarbonyl molecular complexes is presented through the reductive coupling of bis(diazonium) aryl substituents. The heterogenized complex was characterized through ultra-visible, attenuated total reflectance, infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to probe the electronic structure of the immobilized complex. In addition, studies of cyclic voltammetry, controlled potential electrolysis, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were conducted to examine the CO2 reduction activity. The structure and CO2 reduction performance were compared with a previously reported immobilized rhenium(I) tricarbonyl molecular complex to probe the effect of varying the tethering of the aryl substituent from the 5,5'-position to the 4,4'-position of the 2,2'-bipyridine backbone. The immobilized complex on carbon cloth at the 4,4'-position provided excellent selectivity (FECO > 99%) and maximum TONCO and TOFCO values of 3359 and 0.9 s-1, respectively, without the addition of a Bro̷nsted acid source. A nonaqueous flow cell demonstrated the stability of this complex during a 5 h electrolysis. Tethering at the 4,4'-position, compared to the 5,5'-position, yielded lower overall activity for CO2 reduction and was attributed to the difference in growth morphology and formation of aggregations, due to Re-Re dimer formation and π-π stacking interactions within the metallopolymer matrix. For carbon cloth substrates, an optimized catalyst loading was determined to be 44.6 ± 11 nmol/cm2.

Mitigation of almond leaf scorch by a peptide that inhibits the motility of Xylella fastidiosa.

Xylella fastidiosa is a xylem-limited plant pathogenic bacterium that is a menace to the agriculture worldwide threating economically relevant crops such as almond. The pathogen presents a dual lifestyle in the plant xylem, consisting of sessile microbial aggregates and mobile independent cells that move by twitching motility. The latter is essential for the systemic colonization of the host and is mediated through type IV pili. In previous reports, it has been demonstrated that peptides can affect different key processes of X. fastidiosa, but their effect on motility has never been assessed. In the present work, peptides previously identified and newly designed analogs were studied for its effect in vitro on the motility of X. fastidiosa and their protective effect against almond leaf scorch was determined. By assessing the twitching fringe width in colonies and using microfluidic chambers, the inhibitory effect of BP100 on twitching motility was demonstrated. Interestingly, type IV pili of BP100-treated cells were similar in frequency and length, and presented no morphological differences when compared to the non-treated control. The application of BP100 by endotherapy in almond plants inoculated with X. fastidiosa under greenhouse conditions significantly reduced population levels and showed less affected xylem vessels, which correlated with decreased disease symptoms. Therefore, BP100 is a promising candidate to manage almond leaf scorch caused by X. fastidiosa.

Integrative taxonomy reveals a new species of deep-sea squat lobster (Galatheoidea, Munidopsidae) from cold seeps in the Gulf of Mexico

The western Atlantic Ocean harbors a diverse fauna of squat lobsters, particularly in the family Munidopsidae. This study introduces Munidopsis sednasp. nov., a species only found in the Gulf of Mexico and the first species reported to be endemic to cold seeps in the western Atlantic. Our investigation incorporates morphological analyses including micro-CT scanning evidence, multilocus molecular phylogeny, and mtDNA phylogeography, as well as ecological data derived from in situ observations and geographic distribution patterns to substantiate the recognition of the new species. Shallow molecular divergences and multiple morphological differences differentiate the new species from its closest relative, M. longimanus (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880). Additionally, we explore the potential scenario for ecological speciation within this newly identified taxon and discuss its significance in the context of conservation efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.

Divergent ornamentation within a single population of the barn swallow.

Differential migration strategies favour different sets of characteristics, including sexually selected ornamentation. Such phenotypic variation is particularly evident in a population with partial migration, where migrants and non-migrants co-exist. Partial migration provides insights into the link between migration, local environment and ornamentation, although empirical studies remain scarce. Here, we studied the plumage traits of barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) in southern Japan, where both winterings and migrants breed sympatrically. We further examined this relationship with multiple isotopes (δ2H, δ13C, δ15N and δ34S), which provides insight into their moulting habitat. Among males, winterings and migrants differed in their morphological traits: wintering males had shorter wings, which suggests the high demand for flight apparatus in migratory birds. Moreover, wintering males had larger white tail spots and less colourful throat patches than migratory males, indicating ornament divergence between them. Wintering males had a significantly smaller isotopic space when examining the combinations of δ34S with the other isotopes compared to migratory males, which indicates a differential geographic range between them, perhaps because of the limited variation in the distance to the sea in wintering males. As in males, wintering females had a significantly smaller isotopic space than migrant females, but there were few morphological differences between migratory and wintering females. Instead, some morphological traits were related to isotope values in females. These results indicate sex-specific linkage between migration, local environment, and ornamentation.

Evaluating trait variation and covariation in perennial, herbaceous crop candidate species using herbarium specimens

AbstractContemporary agriculture in many parts of the world consists of annual plant species grown in monoculture, but recently interest has focused on developing perennial, herbaceous species for use in perennial polycultures that offer greater ecosystem services relative to annual monocultures. Because few perennial, herbaceous species were domesticated by early farmers, one of the initial steps in identifying wild, perennial, herbaceous species for potential crop development is understanding patterns of variation and covariation among reproductive traits that underpin yield and vegetative traits. Herbaria can serve as a valuable resource for taxonomically broad surveys of phenotypic variation and covariation for pre-breeding. In this study, we used herbarium specimens to investigate trait variation and covariation in five genera of the legume family (Fabaceae). We addressed two questions: (1) do vegetative and reproductive traits vary as a function of life span (annual vs. perennial species), and are these differences consistent across genera?; and (2) how do vegetative and reproductive traits correlate with one another across lifespan and/or within genera? Reproductive traits and vegetative traits were measured on 535 herbarium specimens representing annual and perennial species of Astragalus, Lupinus, Phaseolus, Strophostyles, and Vigna. While species exhibited intra- and interspecific variation, few morphological differences were observed among annual and perennial species. Correlations among vegetative traits and among reproductive traits were mostly positive when significant, and perennial species generally exhibited more positive correlations between vegetative and reproductive traits than annual species. These data have potential relevance for perennial crop development, and provide further support that herbaria represent a rich, relatively untapped resource of information about plant trait variation and covariation.

Exploring the hepatoprotective properties of citronellol: In vitro and in silico studies on ethanol-induced damage in HepG2 cells.

Citronellol (CT) is a monoterpene alcohol present in the essential oil of plants of the genus Cymbopogon and exhibits diverse pharmacological activities. The aim of the current study was to investigate the hepatoprotective potential of CT against ethanol-induced toxicity in HepG2 cell lines. Silymarin (SIL) was used as a standard drug. MTT, crystal violet assay, DAPI, and PI staining were carried out to assess the effect of ethanol and CT on cell viability. RT-PCR determined the molecular mechanisms of hepatoprotective action of CT. CT ameliorated cell viability and restricted ethanol-induced cell death. DAPI and PI staining showed distinct differences in cell number and morphology. Less cell viability was observed in the diseased group obviously from strong PI staining when compared to the CT- and SIL-treated group. Moreover, CT showed downregulation of interleukin (IL-6), transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1), collagen type 1 A 1 (COL1A1), matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and glutathione peroxidase-7 (GPX-7) levels. Molecular docking studies supported the biochemical findings. It is concluded that the cytoprotective activity of CT against ethanol-induced toxicity might be explained by its anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and collagen-regulating effects.

Varying Tolerance to Diesel Toxicity Revealed by Growth Response Evaluation of Petunia grandiflora Shoot Lines Regenerated after Diesel Fuel Treatment

Continuous efforts are required to find ways to protect crop production against the toxicity of petroleum hydrocarbons, such as diesel, and contamination of soils. There is a need for identification of candidate plants that are tolerant to diesel toxicity that might also have the potential for remediation of diesel-contaminated soils. In this study, petunia, a popular ornamental plant and a model experimental plant in research on phytoremediation of environmental pollutants, was used to evaluate a novel method for rapidly assessing diesel toxicity based on the tolerance of shoots generated through in vitro plant cell culture selection. Petunia shoot lines (L1 to L4) regenerated from diesel-treated callus were compared with those from non-diesel-treated callus (control). Significant morphological differences were observed among the tested lines and control, notably with L1 and L4 showing superior growth. In particular, L4 exhibited remarkable adaptability, with increased root development and microbial counts in a diesel-contaminated potting mix, suggesting that the shoots exhibited enhanced tolerance to diesel exposure. Here, this rapid bioassay has been shown to effectively identify plants with varying levels of tolerance to diesel toxicity and could therefore assist accelerated selection of superior plants for phytoremediation. Further research is needed to understand the genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying tolerance traits, with potential applications beyond petunias to other environmentally significant plants.

The deeper the rounder: body shape variation in lice parasitizing diving hosts

Seal lice, unique among insects, show remarkable adaptability to the extreme conditions of the deep sea. Evolving with their seal and sea lion hosts, they have managed to tolerate hypoxia, high salinity, low temperature, and elevated hydrostatic pressure. Given the diving capabilities of their mammalian hosts, which can reach depths of hundreds to thousands of meters, our study examines the morphological variation among closely related seal lice species infesting hosts with different maximum diving depths. In particular, our research reveals a significant morphological difference between lice associated with regular and deep-diving hosts, where lice from deep-diving hosts tend to be rounder. This could be an adaptation to withstand the high hydrostatic pressures found in the deep ocean. The rounded shape optimizes the louse’s ability to withstand external pressure by redistributing it over a larger ventral/dorsal plane. This in turn minimizes the internal energy required to support body deformations, thereby increasing the louse’s resilience in the deep sea environment.

Correlation of the Upper Nasolabial Angle With Skeletal Patterns and Nasal Morphology in Indian Adults: An Observational Study.

The upper nasolabial angle (UNLA) is an important determinant in clinical diagnosis and treatment planning. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to assess the correlation between various skeletal parameters and nasal morphology in an Indian cohort, particularly UNLA. The secondary objectives were to evaluate sex differences in nasal morphology, optimal cut-off values of the UNLA for skeletal malocclusions, and differences in nasal morphology in different skeletal malocclusions. This retrospective study used 162 pre-treatment lateral cephalometric records of patients with skeletal Class I, Class II, and Class III relationships. Group 1 consisted of 68 skeletal Class I patients (ANB angle of 2-40), Group 2 consisted of 68 skeletal Class II patients (ANB angle > 40), and Group 3 consisted of 26 skeletal Class III patients (ANB angle of less than 20). Each group was further subdivided according to the growth pattern into low (horizontal), average, and high (vertical) growers. The angle between the sella-nasion plane and mandibular plane (SN-GoGn angle) was used to further divide the groups according to their growth pattern into a horizontal growth pattern (SN-GoGn angle < 280), an average growth pattern (SN-GoGn angle of 28-360), and a vertical growth pattern (SN-GoGn angle > 360). The study sample was also divided into males and females to assess gender differences. Spearman's correlation coefficient, multinomial logistic regression analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to obtain the optimal cut-off values for UNLA. The UNLA showed a positive correlation with the sagittal position of the maxilla and a negative correlation with the sagittal position of the mandible and palatal plane (PP) inclination angle. Statistically significant sex differences were observed in nasal length, nasal depth, and lower anterior facial height. The optimal cut-off values for the UNLA angle in the class II skeletal pattern were ≥ 200, 16-200 for skeletal class I, and ≤ 160 for skeletal class III patients. None of the skeletal and nasal parameters were reliable predictors of the skeletal pattern type. The present study showed that the UNLA increased in the skeletal class II pattern with the downward inclination of the PP. Patients with skeletal class III malocclusion had an upward-canted nasal tip.

Morphological variability of Cyprinus Carpio Linnaeus, 1758 in water bodies of the Balkash-Alakol basin

The article presents the results of investigating the morphological variability of carp (Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758) in three large reservoirs of the Balkash-Alakol Basin – Lake Balkash, Lake Alakol, and Kapshagay Reservoir. Morphological differences in several features (counting and plasticity) were found in three carp samples. The study included the examination of 24 plastic and 14 counting features. The method of digital image processing (Morpho J) was applied to analyze the differences of the target fish species specimens by body shape. The application of the principal component analysis (PCA) method allowed determining the main loadings on the studied morphological traits of carp. The statistically reliable differences revealed allow to confirm the formation of morphological changes in carp caused by the duration of adaptive radiation, environmental factors of water bodies and annual artificial stocking of young fish.

Effect of micropillar density on morphology and migration of low and high metastatic potential breast cancer cells

Study of cell migration in cancer is crucial to the comprehension of the processes and factors that govern tumor spread. Cancer cells migrate invading tissues, causing alterations in cell adhesion, cytoskeleton, and signaling pathways. Little is known about the physical attributes of cancer cells that change when interacting with microenvironments. In this work, the local topography of the ECM has been mimicked through micropillar array substrates. MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells, exhibiting high and low metastatic potential, respectively, were analyzed. Differences in morphology and migration of the cells were investigated by examining the cell spreading area, circularity, aspect ratio, migration speed, and migration path. This work encountered that none of the studied cell lines have preferential orientation migrating on uniform patterns. In contrast, cell migration on graded patterns shows preferential orientation along the longitudinal direction from sparser to denser zones which is significantly influenced by substrate stiffness and indicates that both cell lines can sense the spacing gradient and respond to this topographical cue. The migration speed of the breast cancer cell lines significantly decreases from the sparse to medium to dense zones, registering higher values for the MDA-MB-231.

Characterization of tumor heterogeneity through segmentation-free representation learning.

The interaction between tumors and their microenvironment is complex and heterogeneous. Recent developments in high-dimensional multiplexed imaging have revealed the spatial organization of tumor tissues at the molecular level. However, the discovery and thorough characterization of the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains challenging due to the scale and complexity of the images. Here, we propose a self-supervised representation learning framework, CANVAS, that enables discovery of novel types of TMEs. CANVAS is a vision transformer that directly takes high-dimensional multiplexed images and is trained using self-supervised masked image modeling. In contrast to traditional spatial analysis approaches which rely on cell segmentations, CANVAS is segmentation-free, utilizes pixel-level information, and retains local morphology and biomarker distribution information. This approach allows the model to distinguish subtle morphological differences, leading to precise separation and characterization of distinct TME signatures. We applied CANVAS to a lung tumor dataset and identified and validated a monocytic signature that is associated with poor prognosis.

Cell Morphology Differences in EDTA Tube Blood Between Immediate Examination and 4 Hours Delayed Examination at 20 - 25?

Cell Morphology Differences in EDTA Tube Blood Between Immediate Examination and 4 Hours Delayed Examination at 20 - 25?