Morphological Parameter Research Articles

Influence of Distal Re-entry Tears on False Lumen Thrombosis After Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair in Type B Aortic Dissection Patients: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation.

Distal re-entry tears play a significant role in false lumen (FL) thrombosis, which will strongly affect the postoperative long-term survival of patients with type B aortic dissection (TBAD) after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). This study aimed to investigate the influence of a peculiar morphological parameter of the residual re-entry tears in TBAD patients after TEVAR on long-term FL thrombosis using the computational fluid dynamics. Ideal population-based three-dimensional models of post-operative TBAD were established. Numerical simulation was performed to investigate the hemodynamic differences caused by different tear features, including the tear count, the maximum distance between tears, and the tear area. Although the low relative residence time (RRT) area did not change significantly when the tear distance was fixed, the area of oscillatory shear index (OSI) > 0.45 and endothelial cell activation potential (ECAP) > 1.5 decreased significantly with the tear count and area increased and a dramatic increase in blood flow into the FL was also observed. When tear count and total area were fixed, for each 10-mm increase in the maximum distance between tears, the area of low RRT in the FL increased significantly, while the average pressure difference increased by 10.85%. The different morphology of the re-entry tears had different effects on the thrombosis-related hemodynamic parameters in FL following TEVAR. and the number of re-entry tears was most crucial to the potential thrombosis in the post-TEVAR FL of TBAD patients.

Diameter change in completely remodelled proximal descending aorta after acute type I dissection repair: implications for estimating the pre-dissection size.

Pre-dissection diameter of the proximal descending thoracic aorta (p-DTA), if available, would be the reference for determining the size of the stent graft or elephant trunk. Acute type B dissection is known to increase p-DTA diameter by 23% (Rylski factor). This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of estimating post-remodelling diameter of the p-DTA based on the Rylski factor and other post-dissection morphological parameters in acute type I dissection, based on the assumption that the post-remodelling diameter is similar to the pre-dissection diameter. In 60 patients with acute type I dissection showing complete remodelling of the p-DTA false lumen after surgical repair, preoperative and post-remodelling computed tomography scans were reviewed. Parameters, including maximal true lumen diameter (TLDmax) and aortic area-derived diameter divided by the Rylski factor (AoDRylski), were measured at the p-DTA. After complete remodelling, p-DTA diameter decreased by 4.1 mm (P < 0.001). The equivalent to the Rylski factor was 15%. Both TLDmax and AoDRylski frequently showed ≥2 mm discrepancy from post-remodelling aortic diameter (36.7% and 48.3%, respectively, P = 0.30). When 2 parameters coincided within 2 mm, two-third of their estimations were accurate. AoDRylski was more accurate than TLDmax in patients with a large extent of circumferential dissection, and vice versa with less circumferential dissection (P = 0.027). Prediction of post-remodelling aortic diameter relying on a single morphologic parameter carries a substantial risk of overestimation and underestimation. Evaluation based on the extent of circumferential dissection together with the 2 parameters may provide a more reliable estimation.

Effect of phytohormones on morphophysiological parameter of Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata Nees)

Kalmegh Andrographis paniculata is an erect annual herb consider as “king of bitter. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications. The various phytohormones were applied as foliar at 30 days after transplanting. The treatments comprised of T1 (NAA 50 mg/l), T2 (NAA 100 mg/l), T3 (NAA 200 mg/l), T4 (GA3 50 mg/l), T5 (GA3 100 mg/l), T6 (GA3 200 mg/l), T7 (paclobutrazol 50 mg/l), T8 (paclobutrazol 100 mg/l), T9 (paclobutrazol 200 mg/l) andT10 (control). Results were significantly increase plant height with GA3 100 mg/l treatment while minimum plant height was recorded in paclobutrazol 100 mg/l application during the different growth stages as compared to control. The various morphological growth parameter i.e. number of leaves, number of primary branches were significantly higher in GA3 100 mg/l treatment as compared to control during the growth period of Kalmegh. The results concern to physiological parameters indicated that the leaf area, relative growth rate and net assimilation rate increase significantly in the GA3 100 mg/l during the different growth stages.

Searching for the origin of the myofibroblast one cell at a time

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), regardless of the initial injury, is often characterized by relentless progression with the ultimate development of tubular atrophy, interstitial fibrosis, and glomerulosclerosis. The extent of tubulointerstitial fibrosis is the morphological parameter most closely associated with decreased glomerular filtration rate.1 Interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IF/TA) almost invariably develop in parallel, and increased IF/TA is a morphological indicator of poor prognosis across the full spectrum of kidney diseases.

The Morphology of Inner Cell Mass Is the Strongest Predictor of Live Birth After a Frozen-Thawed Single Embryo Transfer.

BackgroundThe scoring system for human blastocysts is traditionally based on morphology; however, there are controversies on the effect of morphology parameters on pregnancy outcomes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the predicting value of each morphology parameter on pregnancy outcomes in a setting of single embryo transfer.MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study on patients undergoing frozen-thawed single blastocyst transfer at our center, between Jan. 2009 and Dec. 2018. A total of 10,482 cycles were analyzed. The blastocysts were scored according to the expansion and hatching status, morphology of inner cell mass (ICM), and cells of trophectoderm (TE). The primary outcome measure was live birth rate. One-way analysis of variance, chi-square test, and multiple logistic regression were used for statistical analysis.ResultsThe clinical pregnancy rate was lower in the blastocysts of stage 3 (48.15%), compared with those of stage 4 (56.15%), stage 5 (54.91%), and stage 6 (53.37%). The live birth rate was lower in the blastocysts of stage 3 (37.07%), compared with those of stage 4 (44.21%) and stage 5 (41.67%). The rates of clinical pregnancy (A: 66.60%, B: 53.25%, C: 39.33%) and live birth (A: 54.62%, B: 41.29%, C: 28.45%) were both decreased with decreasing grade of ICM morphology, and these differences were pairwise significant. The miscarriage rate of blastocysts with ICM grade A was lower, compared with ICM grade C (17.53 vs. 27.66%). Blastocysts with TE morphology of C had lower rates of clinical pregnancy (43.53%) and live birth (32.57%), compared with those with TE morphology of A and B (clinical pregnancy rate: 64.26% for A, 58.11% for B; live birth rate: 52.74% for A, 45.64% for B). There were no significant differences in rates of clinical pregnancy, live birth, and miscarriage between the blastocysts with TE grade A and B.ConclusionsThe blastocyst expansion stage, ICM grade, and TE grade are all associated with pregnancy outcomes. ICM grade is the strongest predictor of live birth. A blastocyst with stage 4–5, ICM grade A, and TE grade A/B should be given priority for single embryo transfer.

Sacral incidence to pubis: a novel and alternative morphologic radiological parameter to pelvic incidence in assessing spinopelvic sagittal alignment

BackgroundAlthough pelvic incidence (PI) is a key morphologic parameter in assessing spinopelvic sagittal alignment, accurate measurements of PI become difficult in patients with severe hip dislocation or femoral head deformities. This study aimed to investigate the reliability of our novel morphologic parameters and the correlations with established sagittal spinopelvic parameters.MethodsOne hundred healthy volunteers (25 male and 75 female), with an average age of 38.9 years, were analysed. Whole-body alignment in the standing position was measured using a slot-scanning X-ray imager. We measured the established spinopelvic sagittal parameters and a novel parameter: the sacral incidence to pubis (SIP). The correlation coefficient of each parameter, regression equation of PI using SIP, and regression equation of lumbar lordosis (LL) using PI or SIP were obtained. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated as an evaluation of the measurement reliability.ResultsReliability analysis showed high intra- and inter-rater agreements in all the spinopelvic parameters, with ICCs > 0.9. The SIP and pelvic inclination angle (PIA) demonstrated strong correlation with PI (R = 0.96) and pelvic tilt (PT) (R = 0.92). PI could be predicted according to the regression equation: PI = − 9.92 + 0.905 * SIP (R = 0.9596, p < 0.0001). The ideal LL could be predicted using the following equation using PI and age: ideal LL = 32.33 + 0.623 * PI – 0.280 * age (R = 0.6033, p < 0.001) and using SIP and age: ideal LL = 24.29 + 0.609 * SIP – 0.309 * age (R = 0.6177, p < 0.001).ConclusionsBoth SIP and PIA were reliable parameters for determining the morphology and orientation of the pelvis, respectively. Ideal LL was accurately predicted using the SIP with equal accuracy as the PI. Our findings will assist clinicians in the assessment of spinopelvic sagittal alignment.Trial registrationThis study was retrospectively registered with the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000042979; January 13, 2021).

The Inter-varietal Specifics of Celery Seed Morphological Parameters

The authors studied 12 varieties of leaf, root, and petiole celery. The morphological parameters of seeds (such as their length, the lengths of the endosperm and the embryo) varied significantly. Samples of “K-635” and “Vanyusha” exceeded the average seed length at a p-value of 5%, and at 1% for the “Royal night” variety. The varieties “Royal night,” “Prague giant,” “Vanyusha,” and “K-635” had the above-average endosperm length. The varieties “Apple,” “K-635”, “Senezh”, and “Royal night” significantly exceeded the average embryo length. Different varieties displayed diverse coefficients of morphological parameter variation. They fluctuated between 12.0% and 17.8% for the embryo length, between 9.4% and 17.3% for the endosperm length, and between 9.4% and 17.9% for seed length. The authors established the Iemb/end index, denoting the embryo to endosperm ratio. The sample maximums of this index (0.91) were observed in the “Malachite” and “Senezh” varieties. The authors analyzed statistical correlation for three parameter pairs and established the Rseed/end, Rseed/emb, and Rend/emb indexes. The Rseed/end index fluctuated from 0.774 in “Senezh” variety to 0.924 in “Malachite” variety. The other three indexes were relatively weak. Rend/emb fluctuated between 0.192 and 0.318, and Rseed/emb fluctuated between 0.157 and 0.254.

Prediction of suspicious ankle instability using the calcaneofibular ligament cross-sectional area.

An injured calcaneofibular ligament (CFL) is a major cause of ankle instability (AI). Previous research has demonstrated that the thickness of the calcaneofibular ligament (CFLT) is correlated with higher-grade sprains and ankle instability. However, inflammatory hypertrophy is distinct from ligament thickness; accordingly, we considered that the calcaneofibular ligament cross-sectional area (CFLCSA) as a potential morphological parameter to analyze inflammatory CFL. We hypothesized that the CFLCSA was a key morphologic parameter in AI diagnosis. We gathered the CFL data of 26 AI patients and 25 control subjects who had undergone ankle magnetic resonance imaging (A-MRI), and it had revealed no evidence of AI. Ankle level T1-weighted coronal A-MRI images were acquired. Using our image analysis program (INFINITT PACS), we analyzed the CFLT and CFLCSA at the CFL on the A-MRI. The CFLCSA was measured as the whole ligament cross-sectional area of the CFL that was most hypertrophied in the transverse A-MR images. The CFLT was measured at the thickest level of CFL. The mean CFLT was 3.49±0.82 mm in the control group, and 4.82±0.76 mm in the AI group. The mean CFLCSA was 33.31±7.02 mm2 in the control group, and 65.33±20.91 mm2 in the AI group. The AI patients had significantly greater CFLT (P<0.001) and CFLCSA (P<0.001) than the control group participants. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis in the evaluation of the diagnostic tests showed that the optimal cut-off score of the CFLT was 4.06 mm, with 76.9% sensitivity, 76.0% specificity, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.89 (95% CI, 0.79-0.99). The optimal cut-off threshold of the CFLCSA was 43.85 mm2, with 92.3% sensitivity, 92.0% specificity, and AUC of 0.94 (95% CI, 0.86-1.00). Even though the CFLT and CFLCSA were both significantly associated with AI, the CFLCSA was a more sensitive diagnostic test.

Growth velocity and microhardness dependences of intermetallic compound phases on solubility range during peritectic solidification

It is well known that the growth of solid phases are determined by both the external solidification growth conditions and the solidification characteristics of themselves. The growth of intermetallic compound phases (IMCs) has been analyzed in two peritectic systems containing IMCs: Sn-Ni and Sn-Mn through secondary dendrite, indicating that the solidification characteristics of them are closely related to the growth of IMCs in these alloys. However, the relationship between the solidification characteristics of IMCs and the growth of secondary branch has not been discussed yet. The IMCs can be classified to be different types according to whether their solubility ranges are nil. Thus, the solubility ranges of IMCs are chosen as the representative solidification characteristics. In this work, through a morphology parameter φ characterizing the morphology of secondary branch, the quantitative relationship between the growth behaviors of secondary dendrite arm of IMCs and their solubility ranges has been established. Comparison in both the theoretical prediction of this work and the experimental measurement between these two peritectic systems demonstrated that the solid phases whose solubility range are larger should have a larger growth velocity vtip of secondary branch in the same growth conditions. In addition, the growth-dependent microhardness of the intermetallic compound phases were investigated, which also shows that the microhardness of intermetallic compound phases are also dependent on the growth velocity, thus the solubility range of themselves. It is commonly assumed that the microhardness of the solidified phase is nearly constant in steady state directional solidification. However, the microhardness of the IMCs at the tips of secondary branches gradually decrease during directional solidification, which is consistent with the gradual reduction in vtip. In addition, the variation of the microhardness is more obvious in IMC with larger solubility range.

Importance of eosinophilic structures and its correlation with acid fast bacilli in fine needle aspiration smears of tubercular lymphadenitis

BackgroundThe hallmark of tuberculosis in cytological smears is the presence of epithelioid cell granulomas, necrosis and AFB. In cases, where AFB not detected, diagnosis of tuberculosis can be made by ancillary tests like PCR which requires infrastructure besides being expensive. In India, where majority of population is rural-based there is an imminent need of some morphological change in cytological smears which can point towards diagnosis of tuberculosis in absence of AFB. This study was done to assess the importance of eosinophilic structures (ES) and its correlation with presence of AFB. Material & methodsThis was a retrospective study over a period of one year. Lymph node aspirates reported as granulomatous lymphadenitis, tubercular lesion or suppurative lesion were included. All smears for each case, stained with May Grunwald Giemsa (MGG), Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) and ZN stain were retrieved and rescreened for the presence of eosinophilic structure, necrosis, granulomas and AFB. ResultsOur study included 256 cases. Most common age group was 21–30 years with female predominance. Cervical lymph nodes were most commonly involved. In relation to ES and AFB four cytological pictures were seen i.e ES + AFB+ (44.54%) ES + AFB- (5.46%) ES- AFB+ (14.45%) ES - AFB- (35.55%). Chi square test showed a high significant statistical association between ES and AFB(p = 0.00001). ConclusionIn developing countries with very high TB prevalence like India, where new diagnostic modalities are unaffordable by rural population, presence of ES should be included as a morphological parameter in routine cytology reporting of tubercular lesions.

Mobile LiDAR Scanning System Combined with Canopy Morphology Extracting Methods for Tree Crown Parameters Evaluation in Orchards.

To meet the demand for canopy morphological parameter measurements in orchards, a mobile scanning system is designed based on the 3D Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm. The system uses a lightweight LiDAR-Inertial Measurement Unit (LiDAR-IMU) state estimator and a rotation-constrained optimization algorithm to reconstruct a point cloud map of the orchard. Then, Statistical Outlier Removal (SOR) filtering and European clustering algorithms are used to segment the orchard point cloud from which the ground information has been separated, and the k-nearest neighbour (KNN) search algorithm is used to restore the filtered point cloud. Finally, the height of the fruit trees and the volume of the canopy are obtained by the point cloud statistical method and the 3D alpha-shape algorithm. To verify the algorithm, tracked robots equipped with LIDAR and an IMU are used in a standardized orchard. Experiments show that the system in this paper can reconstruct the orchard point cloud environment with high accuracy and can obtain the point cloud information of all fruit trees in the orchard environment. The accuracy of point cloud-based segmentation of fruit trees in the orchard is 95.4%. The R2 and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) values of crown height are 0.93682 and 0.04337, respectively, and the corresponding values of canopy volume are 0.8406 and 1.5738, respectively. In summary, this system achieves a good evaluation result of orchard crown information and has important application value in the intelligent measurement of fruit trees.

Morpho-Molecular Characterization and Screening of Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Genotypes for Salinity Tolerance at Seedling Stage

Salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses which severely affect the production of crops across the world. Twenty rice genotypes of diverse origins were assessed to examine salt tolerance potentiality at seedling stage as well as to elucidate the genetic variation using SSR markers. Consequently, IRRI standard protocol was applied to screen out those varieties for tolerance at the glasshouse laboratory of Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture, maintaining salt stress level at 6dS m-1, 8dS m-1, 10dS m-1 and 12 dS m-1. Data on morphological parameter were recorded as shoot length (cm), root length (cm) and total dry matter (TDM). For molecular characterization thirteen SSR markers were exploited to determine the genetic diversity and in this context, 53alleles were revealed while the mean number of alleles per locus was 4.The Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) value ranged from 0.37- 0.78 having an average of 0.58. The Un-weighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) displayed three major clusters including some sub-clusters, where in Cluster 1, Binadhan- 8, Binadhan-10, Pokkali and FL478 were very close in their vicinity. Information obtained from this experiment, thus can be taken into account for stress breeding program and prospective genetic materials could be utilized for exploring the genetic architecture in favor of salt tolerance as well as for developing better salt tolerant rice varieties in near future.&#x0D; SAARC J. Agri., 18(2): 1-15 (2020)

Comprehensive evaluation of corneas from normal, forme fruste keratoconus and clinical keratoconus patients using morphological and biomechanical properties

ObjectiveTo more comprehensively evaluate the ability of the parameters reflecting the morphological and biomechanical properties of the cornea to distinguish clinical keratoconus (CKC) and forme fruste keratoconus (FFKC) from normal.MethodsNormal eyes (n = 50), CKC (n = 45) and FFKC (n = 15) were analyzed using Pentacam, Corvis ST and ORA. Stepwise logistic regression of all parameters was performed to obtain the optimal combination model capable of distinguishing CKC, FFKC from normal, named SLR1 and SLR2, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were applied to determine the predictive accuracy of the parameters and the two combination models, as described by the area under the curve (AUC). AUCs were compared using the DeLong method.ResultsThe SLR1 model included only the TBI output by Pentacam, while the SLR2 model included the morphological parameter F.Ele.Th and two parameters from the Corvis ST, HC DfA and SP-A1. The majority of the parameters had sufficient strength to differentiate the CKC from normal corneas, even the seven separate parameters and the SLR1 model had a discrimination efficiency of 100%. The predictive accuracy of the parameters was moderate for FFKC, and the SLR2 model (0.965) presented an excellent AUC, followed by TBI, F.Ele.Th and BAD-D.ConclusionThe F.Ele.Th from Pentacam was the most sensitive morphological parameter for FFKC, and the combination of F.Ele.Th, HC DfA and SP-A1 made the diagnosis of FFKC more efficient. The CRF and CH output by ORA did not improve the combined diagnosis, despite the corneal combination of morphological and biomechanical properties that optimized the diagnosis of FFKC.

The Effect of Morphological and Topological Characteristics on Effective Diffusivity and Permeability of Dual-Structural-Scale Synthetic Porous Medium

Image-based simulations at pore scale provide direct insight into the impact of the microstructure on flow and transport processes in porous media. Diffusion is an important mechanism of mass transfer in gas or liquid phases, confined in porous media. Similar to fluid flow, the diffusive transport in porous media is a strong function of pore size and structure. Although the effect of porosity, pore connectivity and constrictivity of homogeneous porous media on macroscopic properties is clear, this is not well understood for heterogeneous porous media. This study uses a dual-structural-scale medium to analyze the effect of topological and morphological parameters on effective properties such as permeability and the effective diffusivity. A synthetic porous medium was created by two sizes of small and large glass beads, and 3D pore structure image of the sample was captured by X-ray computed tomography technique. The Stokes and diffusion equations were directly solved on the extracted pore geometry of sample, using a finite element method. The results show a strong nonlinear relationship between constrictivity, as a morphological parameter, with permeability and effective diffusivity. Based on the results obtained from pore-scale imaging and modeling, the connectivity of the pore space is increased by decreasing the Euler number and consequently the permeability and effective diffusivity is increased. Good agreement between image-based computed effective diffusivity with that estimated by van Brakel and Heertjes empirical relation confirms the reliability of this relation for heterogeneous porous medium, which includes constrictivity in addition to porosity and tortuosity, as three important morphological properties.

Evaluation of Agro-morphological and Pollen Parameters of M&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; Generation of &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Capsicum annuum&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; Exposed to Fast Neutron Irradiation (FNI)

Morphological and pollen parameter evaluation of M₂ generation of fast neutron irradiated capsicum annuum was carried out to assess the heritability of the useful traits observed in the M1 generation. Irradiated M₁ generation seeds at the Centre for Energy and Research Training (CERT), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria using Fast Neutron Irradiation (FNI) from Americium-Beryllium source with flux 1.5x10⁴n.cm^-2s^-1 at 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes exposure periods were collected from the Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Technology Minna. The seeds were raise in the experimental garden of the Department in Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) and assess for morphological and pollen parameter. The results of the plant height indicated significant difference (P<0.05) across the treated plants at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks. The minimum height and number of leaf per plant at week 2 (3.53 cm and 6.25) and 4 weeks (11.80 cm and 13.85) was due to plant exposed to 30 minutes irradiated mutant. Maximum number of fruit and weight of fruit per plant was due to 60 minutes IEP with the value of 3.13 and 22.22 g respectively, while the minimum weight was due to 30 minutes exposure periods (13.89 g). Plants with 90 minutes exposure period recorded the highest percentage of pollen viability (96.78) and number of pollen production (79600.00).

Application of 3.0T Time-of-flight Magnetic Resonance Angiography with Sparse Undersampling and Iterative Reconstruction in the Diagnosis of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms

To evaluate the diagnostic value of 3.0T time-of-flight MR angiography with sparse undersampling and iterative reconstruction (TOFu-MRA) for unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) on the basis of using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as the reference standard. A total of 65 patients with suspected UIAs were prospectively enrolled and all patients underwent TOFu-MRA and DSA. Relying on DSA as the reference standard, the sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of using TOFu-MRA in UIA diagnosis were calculated, and the inter-observer agreement between two doctors was determined. Comparison of maximum intensity projection (MIP) and volume rendering (VR) image datasets was made to evaluate the agreement between DSA results and TOFu-MRA in the measurement of UIA morphological parameters, including the neck width (D neck), height (H) , and width (D width) of UIAs. The study covered 55 UIAs from 46 patients. The SEN, SPE, PPV and NPV of the two doctors using TOFu-MRA in UIA diagnosis were as follows: (95.7%, 95.7%), (94.7%, 94.7%), (97.8%, 97.8%) and (90.0%, 90.0%), respectively for patient-based assessment; (96.4%, 94.5%), (94.7%, 94.7%), (98.1%, 98.1%) and (90.0%, 85.7%), respectively, for aneurysm-based assessment. There is a strong inter-observer agreement (Kappa=0.93 for patient-based assessment and 0.96 for aneurysm-based assessment) between the two doctors. Moreover, Bland-Altman analysis showed that more than 95% points fell within the limits of agreement (LoA), suggesting strong agreement between the two examination methods for the measurement of UIAs morphological parameters. TOFu-MRA showed good diagnostic efficacy for UIAs and the results were in good agreement with those of DSA, the reference standard, for assessing UIA morphological parameter. TOFu-MRA can be used as a first choice for noninvasive diagnostic evaluation of UIAs.

Automatic Detection and Parameter Estimation of Ginkgo biloba in Urban Environment Based on RGB Images

Individual tree crown detection and morphological parameter estimation can be used to quantify the social, ecological, and landscape value of urban trees, which play increasingly important roles in densely built cities. In this study, a novel architecture based on deep learning was developed to automatically detect tree crowns and estimate crown sizes and tree heights from a set of red‐green‐blue (RGB) images. The feasibility of the architecture was verified based on high‐resolution unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images using a neural network called FPN‐Faster R‐CNN, which is a unified network combining a feature pyramid network (FPN) and a faster region‐based convolutional neural network (Faster R‐CNN). Among more than 400 tree crowns, including 213 crowns of Ginkgo biloba, in 7 complex test scenes, 174 ginkgo tree crowns were correctly identified, yielding a recall level of 0.82. The precision and F‐score were 0.96 and 0.88, respectively. The mean absolute error (MAE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of crown width estimation were 0.37 m and 8.71%, respectively. The MAE and MAPE of tree height estimation were 0.68 m and 7.33%, respectively. The results showed that the architecture is practical and can be applied to many complex urban scenes to meet the needs of urban green space inventory management.

Multiparametric Analysis of Tumor Morphological and Functional MR Parameters Potentially Predicts Local Failure in Pharynx Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients.

Purpose : To predict local control / failure by a multiparametric approach using magnetic resonance (MR)-derived tumor morphological and functional parameters in pharynx squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients. Materials and Methods : Twenty-eight patients with oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal SCCs were included in this study. Quantitative morphological parameters and intratumoral characteristics on T2-weighted images, tumor blood flow from pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling, and tumor diffusion parameters of three diffusion models from multi-b-value diffusion-weighted imaging as well as patients' characteristics were analyzed. The patients were divided into local control / failure groups. Univariate and multiparametric analysis were performed for the patient group division. Results : The value of morphological parameter of 'sphericity' and intratumoral characteristic of 'homogeneity' was revealed respectively significant for the prediction of the local control status in univariate analysis. Higher diagnostic performance was obtained with the sensitivity of 0.8, specificity of 0.75, positive predictive value of 0.89, negative predictive value of 0.6 and accuracy of 0.79 by multiparametric diagnostic model compared to results in the univariate analysis. Conclusion : A multiparametric analysis with MR-derived quantitative parameters may be useful to predict local control in pharynx SCC patients. J. Med. Invest. 68 : 354-361, August, 2021.

Morphological changes affecting ipsilateral and contralateral leg alignment after total hip arthroplasty

BackgroundIt is still unclear whether morphological changes in hip disorders is a pathogenic or independent factor for the variations in leg alignment. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the characteristics of the change in leg alignment after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and the morphological factors affecting the ipsilateral and contralateral leg alignment. MethodsBoth pre-operative and post-operative bilateral whole-leg radiographs in the standing position were taken in 100 patients who underwent THA. Hip-knee-ankle angle (HKAA), joint line convergence angle (JLCA), height of the hip center, lateral width to the hip center, femoral offset, and leg length discrepancy were measured. After the pre-operative legs were divided into the varus, neutral, or valgus groups, correlations between the change in HKAA and each hip morphological parameter were assessed. ResultsThe mean change in HKAA on the THA side was 0.8° in the varus direction, which was significantly correlated with JLCA change. On the leg ipsilateral to THA, if the pre-operative alignment was valgus, the medial shift of the hip center was significantly correlated with the varus change in HKAA. On the side contralateral to THA, the change in leg length discrepancy was a significant correlative factor to the varus change in HKAA, if the pre-operative alignment was valgus or neutral. ConclusionThe significant morphological parameters affecting the ipsilateral and contralateral leg alignment after THA were medial shifting of the hip center and the change in leg length discrepancy, respectively. Level of evidenceLevel Ⅳ, Retrospective cohort study.

A 3D spatiotemporal morphological database for urban green infrastructure and its applications

The morphology of urban green infrastructure (UGI) will affect the quality of urban environment and the way people perceive. The three-dimensional morphological features of UGI have been proven to be the key factors to effect urban ecological environment, which have rarely been incorporated into the UGI morphology in the previous researches. In this paper, a systematic approach to develop a 3D spatiotemporal morphological database for UGI is proposed. The database is built on a complete set of information describing the form of UGI in the plane, the vertical direction and the temporal changes. In addition, three categories of morphological parameters of UGI are calculated and integrated in the database. User operation and visualization and morphological parameter operation is achievable in the database. The database can be further integrated with simulation programs and analytical models so that it can be used in the design and research of various urban sustainable subjects. In a case study, we further create a complete 3D spatiotemporal morphological database of UGI for an urban district of 4km² in Nanjing, China.