Similar Features Research Articles

Imaging the Male Breast: Gynecomastia, Male Breast Cancer, and Beyond.

The number of men undergoing breast imaging has increased in recent years, according to some reports. Most male breast concerns are related to benign causes, most commonly gynecomastia. The range of abnormalities typically encountered in the male breast is less broad than that encountered in women, given that lobule formation rarely occurs in men. Other benign causes of male breast palpable abnormalities with characteristic imaging findings include lipomas, sebaceous or epidermal inclusion cysts, and intramammary lymph nodes. Male breast cancer (MBC) is rare, representing up to 1% of breast cancer cases, but some data indicate that its incidence is increasing. MBC demonstrates some clinical features that overlap with those of gynecomastia, including a propensity for the subareolar breast. Men with breast cancer tend to present at a later stage than do women. MBC typically has similar imaging features to those of female breast cancer, often characterized by an irregular mass that may have associated calcifications. Occasionally, however, MBC has a benign-appearing imaging phenotype, with an oval shape and circumscribed margins, and therefore most solid breast masses in men require tissue diagnosis. Histopathologic evaluation may alternatively reveal other benign breast masses found in men, including papillomas, myofibroblastomas, and hemangiomas. Radiologists must be familiar with the breadth of male breast abnormalities to meet the rising challenge of caring for these patients. ©RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article.

Biochemical properties of chromatin domains define genome compartmentalization.

Chromatin three-dimensional (3D) organization inside the cell nucleus determines the separation of euchromatin and heterochromatin domains. Their segregation results in the definition of active and inactive chromatin compartments, whereby the local concentration of associated proteins, RNA and DNA results in the formation of distinct subnuclear structures. Thus, chromatin domains spatially confined in a specific 3D nuclear compartment are expected to share similar epigenetic features and biochemical properties, in terms of accessibility and solubility. Based on this rationale, we developed the 4f-SAMMY-seq to map euchromatin and heterochromatin based on their accessibility and solubility, starting from as little as 10000 cells. Adopting a tailored bioinformatic data analysis approach we reconstruct also their 3D segregation in active and inactive chromatin compartments and sub-compartments, thus recapitulating the characteristic properties of distinct chromatin states. A key novelty of the new method is the capability to map both the linear segmentation of open and closed chromatin domains, as well as their compartmentalization in one single experiment.

Application of Multi-Level Thresholding Fuzzy Entropy and Differential Evolution Techniques to Medical Image Compression

Each storage medium possesses a capacity that is vital to technological progress in supporting internet speed for downloading extensive data. Effective storage media management includes compressing image data to optimize available space utilization for efficient usage. Digital processing of image data for each patient over a specific duration is crucial. This study proposes medical image compression utilizing multi-level thresholding employing the fuzzy entropy and differential evolution (FE-DE) algorithms. The compression results are subsequently assessed using the Peak Signal to Ratio (PSNR), Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM), and Feature Similarity Index Measure (FSIM) to appraise the algorithm's performance and the quality of the compressed images. Employing Fuzzy Compression yields increasing PSNR, SSIM, and FSIM values as the threshold level rises, with the highest values achieved at threshold level 40. The increase in value is in line with the visual quality and compressed image produced.

Morphological and molecular data establishes Clinostomum dolichorchum n. sp. (Digenea: Clinostomidae) in the great blue heron Ardea herodias L. and American bullfrog Rana catesbeiana Shaw.

Clinostomum is a cosmopolitan genus of trematodes that infect piscivorous birds, freshwater molluscs, freshwater fish and amphibians. Herein, a novel species of Clinostomum is described based on morphological and molecular data from an adult in the oral cavity of the great blue heron Ardea herodias and metacercariae collected from the gills and skin of American bullfrog tadpoles Rana catesbeiana. The novel species shares similar qualitative and quantitative morphological features with a congener, Clinostomum marginatum, which has overlap in host and geographic distribution. The most notable morphological difference when compared to C. marginatum is the greater posterior testis length of the novel species. Molecular data resolved similarities with morphological comparisons to nominal species and supports the establishment of a novel species. Molecular data include partial small ribosomal subunit (18S rRNA gene), ribosomal internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS1, 5.8S rRNA gene, and ITS2), partial large ribosomal subunit (28S rRNA gene), cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox1), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 1 gene (nad1) sequences. Phylogenetic analyses place the novel species in a sister clade to C. marginatum. Morphological and molecular data, combined with phylogenetic analyses support the establishment of Clinostomum dolichorchum n. sp.

A Robust Mismatch Removal Method for Image Matching Based on the Fusion of the Local Features and the Depth

Feature point matching is a fundamental task in computer vision such as vision simultaneous localization and mapping (VSLAM) and structure from motion (SFM). Due to the similarity or interference of features, mismatches are often unavoidable. Therefore, how to eliminate mismatches is important for robust matching. Smoothness constraint is widely used to remove mismatch, but it cannot effectively deal with the issue in the rapidly changing scene. In this paper, a novel LCS-SSM (Local Cell Statistics and Structural Similarity Measurement) mismatch removal method is proposed. LCS-SSM integrates the motion consistency and structural similarity of a local image block as the statistical likelihood of matched key points. Then, the Random Sampling Consensus (RANSAC) algorithm is employed to preserve the isolated matches that do not satisfy the statistical likelihood. Experimental and comparative results on the public dataset show that the proposed LCS-SSM can effectively and reliably differentiate true and false matches compared with state-of-the-art methods, and can be used for robust matching in scenes with fast motion, blurs, and clustered noise.

P.126 An unlikely impersonator of primary brain tumours: Illustrative case report and literature review of primary angiitis of the central nervous system

Background: Primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS) is a rare inflammatory condition affecting the parenchymal and leptomeningeal vessels of the CNS. PACNS presenting as a solitary mass lesion (ML-PACNS) constitutes a rare subtype of this pathology. Herein we present the first case reported in Canada of ML-PACNS, presenting with clinical and radiographic findings consistent with a high grade glial neoplasm, as well as a review of the literature on ML-PACNS. Methods: Review of the literature from 1987-2023 was conducted using PubMed to identify features of ML-PACNS and possible treatment paradigms. Results: A number of case reports of ML-PACNS were identified, as well as 6 retrospective analyses of a total of 67 patients. Features such as faster rate of symptom onset, and investigations such as MRI vessel-wall imaging and MR spectroscopy were suggested for identification of ML-PACNS. Treatment was highly variable, but followed guidelines for other neuroinflammatory disorders. Conclusions: Preoperative differentiation between ML-PACNS and CNS neoplasms is difficult due to their similar clinical and radiographic features. However, making this distinction is crucial as PACNS mass lesions can regress entirely with immunosuppressive therapy, potentially obviating the requirement for surgical intervention. Beyond diagnostics, further research is required to establish and validate a treatment paradigm.

Pulsed field ablation versus very high-power short-duration radiofrequency ablation in persistent atrial fibrillation: a single-centre experience

Abstract Background Pulsed Field ablation (PFA) has recently emerged as a treatment strategy for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and early studies showed promising procedural data and durable pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). However, Very High-Power Short-Duration ablation (VHPSD) has previously reported good efficiency and mid-term outcomes, and only a few works compared these two procedures, especially in patients with persistent AF. Objective Our aim is to compare these different modalities of transcatheter ablation in patients with persistent AF, focusing mainly on some procedural aspects, safety and efficacy. Methods We performed a retrospective observational study enrolling all consecutive patients with persistent AF from September 2021 to May 2023 undergoing transcatheter ablation with PFA or VHPSD. In the first group, PVI was achieved by 2kV pulses with eight applications to each vein using both catheter configurations, while isolation of the posterior wall of the left atrium was achieved by applications through the only "flower" configuration; additional lesions were then added at the operator's discretion. In the second group, PVI was achieved by delivering 90W radiofrequency pulses for 4 seconds in the posterior portions of the left atrium and 50W pulses in the anterior region of the pulmonary veins; additional lesions were occasionally applied. All patients received general anaesthesia or deep sedation with fentanyl and dexmedetomidine. Results A total of 79 patients were included, n = 24 (30%) in the PFA group and N = 55 (70%) in the VHPSD one: early persistent AF (n= 2 [8,3%]; N = 7 [12,7%]), persistent AF (n= 17 [70,8%]; N = 36 [65,5%]), long-standing persistent AF (n= 5 [20,8%]; N = 12 [21,8%]). The two populations showed similar clinical features: CHA2DS2-VASc (median value 3 [0-6] in PFA vs 2 [0-6] in VHPSD, p = 0,10), indexed left atrial volume (mean value 42,6 ml/m² in PFA vs 42,4 ml/m² in VHPSD, p = 0,07) and EF (mean value 55,4% in PFA vs 54,8% in VHPSD, p = 0,33). PVI was successfully achieved in all patients. Nevertheless, the PFA group was associated with shorter procedural duration (92,1 ± 36,9 vs 134,2 ± 36,1 minutes, p = 0,00001) but longer fluoroscopy time (25,5 ± 9,3 vs 17,4 ± 11,5 minutes, p = 0,001); it also showed a lower rate of minor complications (n = 1 [4,2%] vs N = 3 [5,5%], p = 0,057), even though serious complications were not observed in either group. After a median follow-up of 14 (9-26) months, n = 19 [79.2%] in the PFA and N = 43 [78.2%] in the VHPSD population were free of any atrial arrhythmia (p = 0,92). Conclusion PFA allows faster procedures, representing a major advantage for the operator and the patient, who is at lower risk of peri-procedural complications. On the other hand, VHPSD correlates with shorter fluoroscopy times, reducing exposure to ionizing radiation. Finally, the two procedures show similar mid-term efficacy in terms of recurrence-free time.

Maize leaf disease recognition based on improved MSRCR and OSCRNet

Accurate identification of maize pests and diseases plays a crucial role in the growth and yield of maize. The recognition method of maize leaf diseases based on deep learning is currently a research hotspot. In practical applications, it is difficult to ensure a high recognition accuracy due to the impact of environmental factors (such as light intensity, background noise) and insufficient training data. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a maize image recognition method based on image enhancement and OSCRNet. Firstly, a maize leaf image enhancement framework and algorithm based on improved MSRCR were designed to enhance the characteristics of the maize leaf in a complex environment and to solve the problems of high noise and blur of maize images. Subsequently, the OSCRNet maize leaf recognition network model was established, which uses octave convolution with characteristics to accelerate network training and reduce unnecessary redundant spatial information in maize leaf images. Additionally, a self-calibrated convolution with multi-scale features was employed to realize the interactions of different feature information in the maize leaf images, enhance feature extraction, and solve the problems of similarity of maize disease features and easy learning disorders. Concurrently, batch normalization was employed to prevent network overfitting and enhance the robustness of the model. The experimental results showed that the highest identification accuracy of the proposed method for rust, gray leaf disease, northern wilt disease, and healthy maize are 96.67%, 94.86%, 92.81%, and 95.63%, respectively. Our methods were beneficial in solving the problems of slow efficiency, low accuracy and insufficient training data, and also outperformed other comparison models. The proposed method demonstrates strong robustness for maize disease images collected in the natural environment, providing a reference for the intelligent diagnosis of other plant leaf diseases.

Flexible and robust detection for assembly automation with YOLOv5: a case study on HMLV manufacturing line

AbstractAutomating assembly processes in High-Mix, Low Volume (HMLV) manufacturing remains challenging, especially for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Consequently, many companies still rely on a significant amount of manual operations with an overall low degree of automation. The emergence of artificial intelligence-based algorithms offers potential solutions, enabling assembly automation compatible with multiple products and maintaining overall production flexibility. This paper investigates the application of the YOLO (You Only Look Once) object detection algorithm in an HMLV production line within an SME. The performance of the algorithm was tested for different cases, namely, (a) on different products having similar product features, (b) on completely new products, and (c) under different lighting conditions. The algorithm achieved precision and recall greater than 98$$\%$$ % and mAP50:95 greater than 97$$\%$$ % .

#3115 Effectiveness of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with glomerulonephritis: a single center experience

Abstract Background and Aims Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have become widely used in recent years because of favorable outcomes on kidney function in people with diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The main effect of SGLT2 inhibitors is inhibiting sodium and glucose reabsorption, acting precisely in the early proximal tubule of the renal nephron. Although these drugs developed as glucose-lowering agents for their capability to induce glycosuria, cardiovascular outcome studies found that the reduction in kidney function was significantly delayed, and the incidence of severe decline in kidney function was reduced in patients taking SGLT2 inhibitors. Later on, these outcomes were confirmed by the results of the DAPA-CKD, EMPA-KIDNEY, and CREDENCE studies, which were specific outcome trials in patients with CKD. However, data about the use of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with glomerulonephritis at routine clinical practice are still limited. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of SGLT2 inhibitors use in patients with glomerulonephritis. Method Patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven GN who continued their routine follow-up in Etlik City Hospital nephrology clinic were retrospectively examined. Patients with a steroid treatment history for GN were excluded from this study. We identified 29 patients who were treated with SGLT2 inhibitors for proteinuria. We analyzed the baseline characteristics, comorbidities, GN types, and laboratory parameters (baseline, sixth and twelfth months at the follow-up). Each patient was matched to the control with a similar baseline feature under conservative therapy (n = 29). Both patient groups were treated in line with the KDIGO glomerulonephritis guideline and were received RAAS blockers at the maximum tolerated dose. According to baseline levels, the reduction rate in proteinuria and eGFR of the sixth and twelfth months were calculated as percentages. The study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. The local ethical committee approved the study design. Results Our study involved 58 patients diagnosed with 32 (55%) IgA nephropathy, 16 (28%) with membranous nephropathy, and 10 (17%) with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. In the treatment group, 23 (79%) patients used dapagliflozin, and 6 (21%) used empagliflozin as SGLT2 inhibitors. Baseline proteinuria levels at [1940 (1780-2700 mg/d) vs. 1890 (1670-2400 mg/d); p = 0.8], eGFRs [60 (44-82) vs. 64 (46-80) ml/min/1.73 m2; p = 0.8] and serum albumin levels (39.6 ± 0.3 vs. 39.1 ± 0.2; p = 0.4) were similar between both groups. The proteinuria reduction rate in the sixth month was 34% (27.3-40.5) for the treatment group and 12% (6.9-20.7) for the control group (<0.0001). Besides, the reduction rate was still higher in the treatment group at the 12th month [50.5% (39-52.6) vs. 26.3% (17.2-35.4); p ≤ 0.0001]. eGFR declining rate at 6th months and 12th months were lower in SGLT2 group than the control group [3.1% (0-6.2) vs. 8.6% (4.1-16.6); p = 0.004 and 0.8% (0-5) vs. 5.9% (3.3-15.2); 0.005, respectively] (Table 1). Proteinuria levels at 6th months were 1170 (970-1890) mg/d and 1730 (1180-2100) mg/d for treatment and control group, respectively. At 12th months, median proteinuria level of SGLT2 group was 940 (840-1480) mg/d and control group was 1250 (1120- 2040) mg/d (Fig. 1). Conclusion In this study with a well-matched control group, we found that SGLT2 inhibitors demonstrate efficacy in mitigating the decline in estimated GFR and reducing albuminuria in patients with GN. However, randomized-controlled trials are still required specific to patients with GN.

Fecal microbiota and volatile metabolome pattern alterations precede late-onset meningitis in preterm neonates.

The fecal microbiota and metabolome are hypothesized to be altered before late-onset neonatal meningitis (LOM), in analogy to late-onset sepsis (LOS). The present study aimed to identify fecal microbiota composition and volatile metabolomics preceding LOM. Cases and gestational age-matched controls were selected from a prospective, longitudinal preterm cohort study (born <30 weeks' gestation) at nine neonatal intensive care units. The microbial composition (16S rRNA sequencing) and volatile metabolome (gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) and GC-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS)), were analyzed in fecal samples 1-10 days pre-LOM. Of 1397 included infants, 21 were diagnosed with LOM (1.5%), and 19 with concomitant LOS (90%). Random Forest classification and MaAsLin2 analysis found similar microbiota features contribute to the discrimination of fecal pre-LOM samples versus controls. A Random Forest model based on six microbiota features accurately predicts LOM 1-3 days before diagnosis with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.88 (n=147). Pattern recognition analysis by GC-IMS revealed an AUC of 0.70-0.76 (P<0.05) in the three days pre-LOM (n=92). No single discriminative metabolites were identified by GC-TOF-MS (n=66). Infants with LOM could be accurately discriminated from controls based on preclinical microbiota composition, while alterations in the volatile metabolome were moderately associated with preclinical LOM.

Gender differences in lung neuroendocrine tumors: a single-center experience.

Introduction Gender difference may affect lung neuroendocrine tumors (L-NET) onset, progression and outcomes as emerged in other cancers. This study aims to analyse gender difference in L-NET to identify potential prognostic factors, to improve patient follow-up and therapeutic strategies. Methods Patients (pt) with histologically confirmed L-NEN diagnosis referred to the ENETS CoE of the Endocrinology Unit, Federico II University of Naples, from 2013 to 2023 were retrospectively evaluated. Results Among 48 pt with L-NEN, 38 (79,2%) with sporadic L-NET were enrolled: 22 typical (57,9%) and 16 atypical (42,1%) carcinoids, 22 (57,9%) female and 16 (42,1%) male, mean age at diagnosis 57,3 years (range 16-84). Median follow up was 70,5 months (range 12-305). No statistically difference resulted regardig smoking habit, body mass index (BMI), primary site (left/right and central/peripheral) and histological characteristics, between cohorts. Metastasis at diagnosis were found in 20 pt (52,3%), 10 female (10%%), 10 male (10%) (p:0,20). Progressive disease (PD) was observed in 14 (36,8%) pt, male sex developed PD more frequently 9/14 (64,3%) than female 5 (35,7%), p: 0.05. Male sex seemed to show more frequently bone metastasis without reaching statistically difference, 7male/10 (70%), p: 0.06. Among 9 deaths (23,7%), 7 (77,8%) were men and 7 died for PD, p&lt;0,03. Male had a poorer prognosis than female regarding progression free survival (p: 0,04) and overall survival (p:0,001), also when sub-groups of pt metastatic at diagnosis were compared (p: 0,02 and p:0,02). Conclusions This study showed a worse prognosis in male than female with L-NET, despite similar clinical features, tumour type, stage and treatment, with regard to PFS, OS and metastatic spread. These findings may suggest a closer follow up in men, with potential positive impact on outcomes.

Extreme Temperatures and Stroke Mortality: Evidence From a Multi-Country Analysis.

Extreme temperatures contribute significantly to global mortality. While previous studies on temperature and stroke-specific outcomes presented conflicting results, these studies were predominantly limited to single-city or single-country analyses. Their findings are difficult to synthesize due to variations in methodologies and exposure definitions. Within the Multi-Country Multi-City Network, we built a new mortality database for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Applying a unified analysis protocol, we conducted a multinational case-crossover study on the relationship between extreme temperatures and stroke. In the first stage, we fitted a conditional quasi-Poisson regression for daily mortality counts with distributed lag nonlinear models for temperature exposure separately for each city. In the second stage, the cumulative risk from each city was pooled using mixed-effect meta-analyses, accounting for clustering of cities with similar features. We compared temperature-stroke associations across country-level gross domestic product per capita. We computed excess deaths in each city that are attributable to the 2.5% hottest and coldest of days based on each city's temperature distribution. We collected data for a total of 3 443 969 ischemic strokes and 2 454 267 hemorrhagic stroke deaths from 522 cities in 25 countries. For every 1000 ischemic stroke deaths, we found that extreme cold and hot days contributed 9.1 (95% empirical CI, 8.6-9.4) and 2.2 (95% empirical CI, 1.9-2.4) excess deaths, respectively. For every 1000 hemorrhagic stroke deaths, extreme cold and hot days contributed 11.2 (95% empirical CI, 10.9-11.4) and 0.7 (95% empirical CI, 0.5-0.8) excess deaths, respectively. We found that countries with low gross domestic product per capita were at higher risk of heat-related hemorrhagic stroke mortality than countries with high gross domestic product per capita (P=0.02). Both extreme cold and hot temperatures are associated with an increased risk of dying from ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. As climate change continues to exacerbate these extreme temperatures, interventional strategies are needed to mitigate impacts on stroke mortality, particularly in low-income countries.

Hyperspectral imaging with machine learning for in vivo skin carcinoma margin assessment: a preliminary study.

Surgical excision is the most effective treatment of skin carcinomas (basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma). Preoperative assessment of tumoral margins plays a decisive role for a successful result. The aim of this work was to evaluate the possibility that hyperspectral imaging could become a valuable tool in solving this problem. Hyperspectral images of 11 histologically diagnosed carcinomas (six basal cell carcinomas and five squamous cell carcinomas) were acquired prior clinical evaluation and surgical excision. The hyperspectral data were then analyzed using a newly developed method for delineating skin cancer tumor margins. This proposed method is based on a segmentation process of the hyperspectral images into regions with similar spectral and spatial features, followed by a machine learning-based data classification process resulting in the generation of classification maps illustrating tumor margins. The Spectral Angle Mapper classifier was used in the data classification process using approximately 37% of the segments as the training sample, the rest being used for testing. The receiver operating characteristic was used as the method for evaluating the performance of the proposed method and the area under the curve as a metric. The results revealed that the performance of the method was very good, with median AUC values of 0.8014 for SCCs, 0.8924 for BCCs, and 0.8930 for normal skin. With AUC values above 0.89 for all types of tissue, the method was considered to have performed very well. In conclusion, hyperspectral imaging can become an objective aid in the preoperative evaluation of carcinoma margins.

Comparison of the Haas Expander and the Elastodontic Device for the Resolution of Transverse Discrepancies in Growing Patients: A Single-Centre Observational Study

Background: This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of using two different devices to treat upper palatal discrepancies evaluated with a digital intraoral scanner. Methods: A total of 64 patients were enrolled and treated with either an elastodontic expansion device (32 patient test group, 16 females and 16 males, mean age 7.08 ± 0.44) or Haas expander (32 patient control group, 16 females and 16 males, mean age 7.32 ± 0.50). The two groups exhibited similar orthodontic features. The orthodontic criteria were: skeletal class I relationship; molar class I relationship; complete eruption of upper sixths; presence of unilateral or bilateral cross bite. All dental casts were examined and subsequently scanned with an intraoral scanner (I-Tero) pre-treatment (T0) and 12 months after the onset of therapy (T1) to assess the distance between the decidous upper canines (ICW, intercanine width) and the distance between the mesiopalatal cusps of the upper first molars (IMW, intermolar width). For statistical analysis, the t-test for continous variables and the chi-square test for categorical variables were used, respectively. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the mean and SD of the expansions that resulted from the Haas expander and the elastodontic devices (Haas expander vs. Eptamed: ICW_T1 (Haas) = 42.34 (3.09), ICW_T1 (Eptamed) = 42.69 (2.77); p = 0.743; IMW_T1 (Haas) = 34.22 (2.29), IMW_T1 (Eptamed) = 34.00 (2.56); p = 0.800). The two devices were similarly effective. Conclusions: Elastodontic devices and the Haas expander can successfully help the orthodontist to conduct upper arch expansion treatment. However, elastodontic devices are more comfortable during the resolution of palatal discrepancies compared to palatal expander devices.

A computational neural model that incorporates both intrinsic dynamics and sensory feedback in the Aplysia feeding network.

Studying the nervous system underlying animal motor control can shed light on how animals can adapt flexibly to a changing environment. We focus on the neural basis of feeding control in Aplysia californica. Using the Synthetic Nervous System framework, we developed a model of Aplysia feeding neural circuitry that balances neurophysiological plausibility and computational complexity. The circuitry includes neurons, synapses, and feedback pathways identified in existing literature. We organized the neurons into three layers and five subnetworks according to their functional roles. Simulation results demonstrate that the circuitry model can capture the intrinsic dynamics at neuronal and network levels. When combined with a simplified peripheral biomechanical model, it is sufficient to mediate three animal-like feeding behaviors (biting, swallowing, and rejection). The kinematic, dynamic, and neural responses of the model also share similar features with animal data. These results emphasize the functional roles of sensory feedback during feeding.

A novel discriminant algorithm for differential diagnosis of mild to moderate thalassemia and iron deficiency anemia.

Mild to moderate thalassemia trait (TT) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are the most common conditions of microcytic hypochromic anemia (MHA) and they exhibit highly similar clinical and laboratory features. It is sometimes difficult to make a differential diagnosis between TT and IDA in clinical practice. Therefore, a simple, effective, and reliable index is needed to discriminate between TT and IDA. Data of 598 patients (320 for TT and 278 for IDA) were enrolled and randomly assigned to training set (278 of 598, 70%) and validation set (320 of 598, 30%). Stepwise discriminant analysis was used to define the best diagnostic formula for the discrimination between TT and IDA in training set. The accuracy and diagnostic performance of formula was tested and verified by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis in validation set and its diagnostic performance was compared with other published indices. A novel formula, Thalassemia and IDA Discrimination Index (TIDI) = -13.932 + 0.434 × RBC + 0.033 × Hb + 0.025 ×MCHC + 53.593 × RET%, was developed to discriminate TT from IDA. TIDI showed a high discrimination performance in ROC analysis, with the Area Under the Curve (AUC) = 0.936, Youden' s index = 78.7%, sensitivity = 89.5%, specificity = 89.2%, respectively. Furthermore, the formula index also obtained a good classification performance in distinguishing 5 common genotypes of TT from IDA (AUC from 0.854-0.987). The new, simple algorithm can be used as an effective and robust tool for the differential diagnosis of mild to moderate TT and IDA in Guangxi region, China.

The Influence of Facial Feature Similarity on Preference under Different Gender

Many human beings spend mountains of time in their life in order to search for how to be liked by others and many might be confused about how to be liked. However, according to scientific study, it can be claimed that peoples preference, love or like in another word, has its own rules and principles. What this paper want to discuss is that a critical amount of study done by social psychologists showed that people would be attracted by those who have similarity with them, including cultural background, childhood experience, habits and customs, and facial features. Among all these factors, facial feature similarity out to be one that deserves discussion. What is the difference between male and female when they are choosing a partner or children that they like? The answer may vary according to different groups of scientists. For instance, some may state that gender does not make a difference to similar facial feature preference because that ought to be some common traits whole human society have, something hidden behind out culture or DNA. On the other side of the coin, a part of people might hold the opinion that males' choice of preference can distinguish from women because different sex is affected by social norms and cultural background differently. In this article, the opinion is that males are more likely to be influenced by similar facial features when having preferences.

Abstract PR002: Sarcomatoid Histological Variants of Canine Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: Transcription Factor Activation Highlights Pathways of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transformation Similar to Humans

Abstract The histologic heterogeneity of human Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (MIBC) is one of the main contributing factors to poor treatment outcomes. Recent reports on MIBC histological variants have highlighted increased levels of transcription factors (TF) associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) and epigenetic regulation in the sarcomatoid histology variant of MIBC. Dogs with spontaneously developing MIBC have been shown to display similar histological and molecular features, in addition to closely mimicking the clinical behavior of human MIBC. Here, we add to previously reported data on histological variants in canine MIBC by evaluating 21 tumor biopsies for variant histology and performing bulk RNAseq analyses on 3 organoid cell lines derived from one sarcomatoid subvariant and two conventional urothelial carcinoma (UC). MIBC biopsies from 21 dogs were reviewed for variant histology by a human urologic pathologist. Organoids derived from the urine of canine MIBC patients were cultured, preserved in RNA later, and sequenced for mRNA expression to identify TF associated with sarcomatoid variants versus conventional UC. All canine MIBC biopsies were classified as invasive, high-grade UC. Histologic variants were identified as glandular differentiation in 7/21, sarcomatoid differentiation in 3/21, squamous differentiation in 3/21, micropapillary carcinoma in 1/21 MIBC samples and small nested variants in 1/21 samples; with the rest of the tumors classified as conventional UC. Raw RNAseq analyses revealed no clear clustering of expression profiles between the three organoid cell lines, indicating distinct RNA expression profiles between the sarcomatoid variants and conventional UC of canine MIBC. To evaluate differences in the expression of TF targets between the organoid cell lines, pathway analyses and VIPER algorithms were used. Organoids derived from sarcomatoid variant UC showed increased expression of Snail familiy transcription repressor 1 (SNAI1) along with decreased expression of cadherin 1 (CDH1), indicating a signature of EMT, similar to that previously identified in human MIBC organoids with sarcomatoid variant histology. Canine MIBC organoids derived from conventional UC histology samples showed a TF profile associated with proliferation, metastasis, and progression, such as increased Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), E2F transcription factor 3 (E2F3), and centromere protein F (CENPF), as previously described in humans with high grade, invasive UC. In conclusion, the frequency of some histologic variants in canine MIBC, such as sarcomatoid UC, appear to be higher than reported in human patients. TF analyses of canine MIBC-derived organoid cell lines showed evidence of EMT, similar to the sarcomatoid variants of MIBC in humans. Organoids derived from canine MIBC could potentially serve as a valuable model for evaluating the efficacy of novel treatment modalities for the rare histologic variants of UC. Citation Format: Karin Allenspach, Mohamed Elbadawy, Hannah Nocholson, Christopher Zdyrski, John Cheville, Eugene Douglass, Elizabeth W. Howerth, Lilian Oliveira, Jonathan P. Mochel. Sarcomatoid Histological Variants of Canine Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: Transcription Factor Activation Highlights Pathways of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transformation Similar to Humans [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Bladder Cancer: Transforming the Field; 2024 May 17-20; Charlotte, NC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2024;30(10_Suppl):Abstract nr PR002.

Exploratory screening for micro-RNA biomarkers in canine multicentric lymphoma

Lymphoma is one of the most frequent hematopoietic tumors in dogs and shares similar features with human counterparts. MicroRNAs (miRNA, small non-coding RNAs) are pivotal in gene regulation fine tuning and cancer hallmarks are influenced by their aberrant expression. Consequently, miRNA biomarkers may assist predicting therapeutic response and clinical outcome by providing less-invasive novel diagnostics tools. The aim of this study was to detect dysregulated miRNAs in lymphomatous lymph node tissues in comparison to lymph node material or PBMCs from healthy control dogs. Potential significant differences in miRNA expression profiles between four lymphoma entities were evaluated. A customized PCR array was utilized to profile 89 canine target miRNAs. Quantification was performed using qPCR, relative expression was determined by the delta–delta Ct method, and p-values were calculated with student’s t-test. In the 14 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients, 28 and 24 different miRNAs were significantly dysregulated compared to lymph node material or PBMCs. Sixteen miRNAs occurred in both control groups, with 12 miRNAs being down- and four miRNAs being upregulated. The six peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) samples showed 24 and 25 dysregulated miRNAs when compared to the healthy controls. A combined analysis of DLBCL and PTCL samples revealed seven shared and 19 differently expressed miRNAs. Potential biomarkers in T- and B-cell lymphoma could be the miRNA-17/92 cluster and miRNA-181-family together with miRNA-34a and miRNA-150. Diagnostic utility of potential biomarkers must be validated in larger, prospective cohorts of canine lymphoma cases and in higher numbers of physiological patient material.