Quantitative Morphological Analysis Research Articles

Quantitative morphological analysis framework of infant cranial sutures and fontanelles based on CT images.

Characterizing the suture morphological variation is a crucial step to investigate the influence of sutures on infant head biomechanics. This study aimed to establish a comprehensive quantitative framework for accurately capturing the cranial suture and fontanelle morphologies in infants. A total of 69 CT scans of 2-4 month-old infant heads were segmented to identify semilandmarks at the borders of cranial sutures and fontanelles. Morphological characteristics, including length, width, sinuosity index (SI), and surface area, were measured. For this, an automatic method was developed to determine the junction points between sutures and fontanelles, and thin-plate-spline (TPS) was utilized for area calculation. Different dimensionality reduction methods were compared, including nonlinear and linear principal component analysis (PCA), as well as deep-learning-based variational autoencoder (VAE). Finally, the significance of various covariates was analyzed, and regression analysis was performed to establish a statistical model relating morphological parameters with global parameters. This study successfully developed a quantitative morphological framework and demonstrate its application in quantifying morphologies of infant sutures and fontanelles, which were shown to significantly relate to global parameters of cranial size, suture SI, and surface area for infants aged 2-4 months. The developed framework proved to be reliable and applicable in extracting infant suture morphology features from CT scans. The demonstrated application highlighted its potential to provide valuable insights into the morphologies of infant cranial sutures and fontanelles, aiding in the diagnosis of suture-related skull fractures. Infant suture, Infant fontanelle, Morphological variation, Morphology analysis framework, Statistical model.

Extensive palaeo-surfaces beneath the Evans–Rutford region of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet control modern and past ice flow

Abstract. The subglacial landscape of Antarctica records and influences the behaviour of its overlying ice sheet. However, in many places, the evolution of the landscape and its control on ice sheet behaviour have not been investigated in detail. Using recently released radio-echo sounding data, we investigate the subglacial landscape of the Evans–Rutford region of West Antarctica. Following quantitative analysis of the landscape morphology under ice-loaded and ice-unloaded conditions, we identify 10 flat surfaces distributed across the region. Across these 10 surfaces, we identify two distinct populations based on clustering of elevations, which potentially represent remnants of regionally coherent pre-glacial surfaces underlying the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). The surfaces are bounded by deeply incised glacial troughs, some of which have potential tectonic controls. We assess two hypotheses for the evolution of the regional landscape: (1) passive-margin evolution associated with the break-up of the Gondwana supercontinent or (2) an extensive planation surface that may have been uplifted in association with either the West Antarctic Rift System or cessation of subduction at the base of the Antarctic Peninsula. We suggest that passive-margin evolution is the most likely of these two mechanisms, with the erosion of glacial troughs adjacent to, and incising, the flat surfaces likely having coincided with the growth of the WAIS. These flat surfaces also demonstrate similarities to other identified surfaces, indicating that a similar formational process may have been acting more widely around the Weddell Sea embayment. The subsequent fluctuations of ice flow, basal thermal regime, and erosion patterns of the WAIS are therefore controlled by the regional tectonic structures.

Morphometric evaluation of mitochondrial networks in regenerating myofibers using photothermal microscopy

Background: Mitochondria constitute their interconnected network through dynamic mitochondrial processes such as fission and fusion in response to changes in their intracellular environment, such as energy demand. Transmission electron microscopy is the standard method for evaluating mitochondrial morphology. We have developed a simple method to evaluate mitochondrial morphology using tissue sections for bright-field observation. In this study, we attempted to image light-absorbing molecules (cytochrome c) in mitochondria using photothermal (PT) microscopy. Purpose: This method can observe an entire myocyte, so this study attempted to evaluate the entire mitochondrial network of immature (regenerating) myocytes during the skeletal muscle regeneration process. Methods: The gastrocnemius muscle of anesthetized male Wistar rats (13 weeks old) was subjected to 300 controlled eccentric contractions (ECC) using electrical stimulation. 7 days after ECC loading, in situ perfusion fixation was performed, and transverse sections (1 μm) from red (deep regions) and white (superficial regions) were prepared after Epon embedding. The sections were observed by PT microscopy, and quantitative analysis of mitochondrial morphology was performed. Mitochondrial content was expressed as a percentage of the fiber total area in transverse sections. The PT imaging system uses lasers with wavelengths of 515 nm and 638 nm constituting the PT pump and the probe beams, respectively. Results: After 7 days of ECC, many myofibers with small fiber diameters and central nuclei, which are characteristic of the recovery process after muscle damage, were observed. The cross-sectional area of the regenerating muscle (superficial region 389.9 ± 15.2 μm2, deep region 366.2 ± 17.5 μm2) was significantly smaller than that of the normal muscle (superficial region 2211.1 ± 127.3 μm2, deep region 1396.1 ± 72.9 μm2). Mitochondrial content of the regenerating muscle (superficial region 26.1 ± 1.1%, deep region 22.7 ± 0.8%) was significantly lower than that of the normal muscle (superficial region 31.8 ± 1.9%, deep region 34.9 ± 1.8%). In normal muscle, a linear network of mitochondria along myofibrils was observed. On the other hand, no spatially distributed mitochondria were observed in the cytoplasm of the regenerating muscle. Furthermore, a mitochondrial network was formed around the periphery of the central nucleus. Conclusion: In muscle tissue imaging using PT microscopy, myofibers in the regenerative process have less mitochondrial content than mature muscle fibers and lack the mitochondrial network along myofibrils that characterizes mature muscle. On the other hand, the central nucleus of immature muscle was surrounded by highly developed mitochondria. The mitochondrial morphological characteristics of regenerating muscle fibers may offer a unique window through which to better understand mitochondrial design and function and their plasticity during maturation. This study was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI Grant (No. JP20H04074, 21K19703). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Quantitative Analysis of CGRP-IR Afferent Axons in the Mouse Stomach Using Zeiss Arivis Vision4D for Automated Tracing

Gastric nociceptive afferents detect and respond to noxious stimuli by transmitting signals from the stomach to the brain. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a marker for nociceptive afferents and is crucial to gastric functions, including gastric acid secretion, gut motility, and inflammation. However, the topographical quantitative analysis of CGRP-immunoreactive (CGRP-IR) axons in the whole stomach is challenging due to the large amount of axon innervation in various targets within the tissue. Manual tracing of axons is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and extremely tedious, while currently existing automatic neuron tracing programs often need help with large file sizes or tracing inaccuracies. In this study, we used Zeiss Arivis Vision4D, a novel and sophisticated software with a user-guided machine learning capability, for automated tracing of CGRP-IR axons in flat-mounts of the whole mouse stomach muscular layers and thick serial sections of the antrum-pylorus region (C57BL/6J, male, 2-3 months old, n=7). We utilized a combination of techniques, including the Zeiss M2 Imager for automated scanning, Zen 3.3 (blue edition) for image processing, and Vision4D for stitching the entire stomach flat-mounts and sections, 3D fiber tracing, and density analysis. Our results demonstrated that: 1) Vision4D detected and traced almost all CGRP-IR axons of different gastric targets (blood vessels, muscles, myenteric neurons) in different regions (fundus, corpus, antrum) of the stomach. 2) The x-y-z tracing allowed the visualization of axons in space, portraying its continuous trajectory across layers in the muscular flat mounts (longitudinal muscle, myenteric plexus, circular muscle) and cross sections (muscles, submucosa, mucosa). 3) Vision4D also enabled quantitative morphological and laminar analysis based on target and layer separations. The axon density heatmap generated from the tracing data showed high CGRP-IR axon innervation in the blood vessels. After the removal of blood vessels, dense innervation was seen in the upper fundus and antrum-pylorus followed by corpus, indicating the abundance of CGRP in these regions. 4) Vision4D is a powerful tool in handling large data sizes (hundreds of gigabytes of optical sections in more than 300 image frames per stomach) and outstanding in its capability to track nerve fibers in a highly accurate and time effcient manner. This has paved the way for data batch processing to be accessible, as well as shown that multi-marker tracing of the same tissue sample is attainable. 5) The tracing data will be integrated into a stomach scaffold for a 3D map of CGRP-IR afferent axons. This study represents, for the first time, the automatically traced CGRP-IR axons using whole stomach preparations and highlights the potential of Vision4D in creating axon tracing models in other organs and species. This study is supported by NIH 1 U01 NS113867-01, NIH R15 1R15HL137143-01A1 and Carl ZEISS Company. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Artificial intelligence-based classification of breast nodules: a quantitative morphological analysis of ultrasound images.

Accurate classification of breast nodules into benign and malignant types is critical for the successful treatment of breast cancer. Traditional methods rely on subjective interpretation, which can potentially lead to diagnostic errors. Artificial intelligence (AI)-based methods using the quantitative morphological analysis of ultrasound images have been explored for the automated and reliable classification of breast cancer. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of AI-based approaches for improving diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes. In this study, a quantitative analysis approach was adopted, with a focus on five critical features for evaluation: degree of boundary regularity, clarity of boundaries, echo intensity, and uniformity of echoes. Furthermore, the classification results were assessed using five machine learning methods: logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), decision tree (DT), naive Bayes, and K-nearest neighbor (KNN). Based on these assessments, a multifeature combined prediction model was established. We evaluated the performance of our classification model by quantifying various features of the ultrasound images and using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). The moment of inertia achieved an AUC value of 0.793, while the variance and mean of breast nodule areas achieved AUC values of 0.725 and 0.772, respectively. The convexity and concavity achieved AUC values of 0.988 and 0.987, respectively. Additionally, we conducted a joint analysis of multiple features after normalization, achieving a recall value of 0.98, which surpasses most medical evaluation indexes on the market. To ensure experimental rigor, we conducted cross-validation experiments, which yielded no significant differences among the classifiers under 5-, 8-, and 10-fold cross-validation (P>0.05). The quantitative analysis can accurately differentiate between benign and malignant breast nodules.

Quantitative 3D Analysis of Levator Ani Muscle Subdivisions in Nulliparous Women: MRI Feasibility Study.

The levator ani muscle (LAM) is crucial for pelvic floor stability, yet its quantitative MRI assessment is only a recent focus. Our study aims to standardize the quantitative analysis of the LAM morphology within the 3D Pelvic Inclination Correction System (3D-PICS). We analyzed 35 static MR datasets from nulliparous women examining the pubovisceral (PVM), iliococcygeal (ICM), coccygeal (COC), and puborectal muscle (PRM). The PVM consists of three origin-insertion pairs, namely the puboanal (PAM), puboperineal (PPM) and pubovaginal muscle (PVaM). The analysis included a quantitative examination of the morphology of LAM, focusing on the median location (x/y/z) (x: anterior-posterior, y: superior-inferior, z: left-right) of the origin and insertion points (a), angles (b) and lengths (c) of LAM. Inter-rater reliability was calculated. Interindividual variations in 3D coordinates among muscle subdivisions were shown. In all, 93% of all origin and insertion points were found within an SD of <8 mm. Angles to the xz-plane range between -15.4° (right PRM) and 40.7° (left PAM). The PRM is the largest pelvic muscle in static MRI. The ICC indicated moderate-to-good agreement between raters. The accurate morphometry of the LAM and its subdivisions, along with reliable inter-rater agreement, was demonstrated, enhancing the understanding of normal pelvic anatomy in young nulliparous women.

High Fidelity Full-Color Optical Sectioning Structured Illumination Microscopy by Fourier Domain Based Reconstruction

The natural color of biological specimens plays a crucial role in body protection, signaling, physiological adaptations, etc. Full-color optical sectioning structured illumination microscopy (OS-SIM) color is a promising approach that can reconstruct biological specimens in three-dimension meanwhile maintaining their natural color. Full-color OS-SIM takes the advantages of rapid imaging speed, compatibility with fluorescence and non-fluorescence samples, compact configuration, and low cost. However, the commonly used HSV-RMS reconstruction algorithm for full-color OS-SIM faces two issues to be improved. One is the RMS (root-mean-square) OS reconstruction algorithm is prone to background noise, and the other is the reconstruction is bound in RGB and HSV color spaces, consuming more reconstructing time. In this paper, we propose a full-color Fourier-OS-SIM method that allows for the OS reconstruction using the high-frequency spectrum of the sample and thus is immune to the low-frequency background noise. The full-color Fourier-OS-SIM directly runs in the RGB color space, providing an easy way to restore the color information. Simulation and experiments with various samples (pollen grains and tiny animals) demonstrate that the full-color Fourier-OS-SIM method is superior to the HSV-RMS method regarding background noise suppression. Moreover, benefiting from the background noise suppression merit, the quantitative morphological height map analysis with the full-color Fourier-OS-SIM method is more accurate. The proposed full-color Fourier-OS-SIM method is expected to find broad applications in biological and industrial fields where the 3D morphology and the color information of objects both need to be recovered.

Morphological diversity of saber-tooth upper canines and its functional implications.

Elongated upper canine teeth, commonly known as saber-teeth, have evolved three times within the sub-order Feliformia. The species that wielded them flourished throughout the Cenozoic and have historically been separated into two morphological groups: the dirk-tooths with longer, flatter canines, and the scimitar-tooths with shorter, serrated teeth. However, quantitative morphological analysis has not been conducted on these teeth to determine the true amount of diversity within the group, and how the upper canine morphology of extant feliforms compared to their extinct relatives has also not been explored. Using Geometric Morphometric analysis, it is shown that saber-tooth upper canine morphology is exceptionally diverse, with no extant clade having all its members occupy the same morphospace based on tooth length and curvature. Instead, a neutral basal morphospace is observed for all groups and diversification from this basal position is seen as species become more derived. A distinct and consistent scimitar tooth morphology is also not observed within the morphospace. When compared with extant taxa, several saber-tooth species are seen to be morphologically similar to extant feliforms, several of which exhibit novel dietary strategies in comparison to the obligate carnivore felids. Biomechanical analyses of different actual and theoretical tooth shapes demonstrate that saber-teeth upper canines further represent a functional compromise between sharpness, curvature, and length on the one hand, and robustness and material investment on the other.

Quantitative Microvascular Change Analysis Using a Semi-Automated Algorithm in Macula-on Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Assessed by Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography.

The purpose of this study was to objectively evaluate the longitudinal changes observed in the retinal capillaries in eyes with macula-on rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD), assessed with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), and to assess the role of these microvascular measures as potential biomarkers of postoperative visual outcomes. This was a prospective, longitudinal study conducted on consecutive patients who underwent 25 G pars plana vitrectomy for primary RRD. The vessel area density (VAD), vessel skeleton density (VSD), and vessel diameter index (VDI) were assessed in the superficial (SCP) and deep (DCP) capillary plexuses. Twenty-three eyes with macula-on RRD were included in the study. The mean preoperative VDI, VAD, and VSD of the RRD eye were 18.6 ± 1.1, 0.43 ± 0.02, and 0.17 ± 0.01 in the SCP; and 18.6 ± 0.6, 0.38 ± 0.03, and 0.15 ± 0.01 in the DCP, respectively. At month 6, eight (34.8%) eyes achieved a best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) gain ≥ 0.1 LogMAR. A preoperative VDI > 17.80, VSD > 0.170, and VDI-change > -0.395 in the SCP; and VDI > 18.11 and VDI change > -0.039 in the DCP were predictors of achieving a BCVA-gain ≥ 0.1 LogMAR. The preoperative VDI in SCP and DCP, the preoperative VSD in SCP, and their changes from preoperative values were predictors of visual outcomes. A quantitative OCTA analysis of capillary density and morphology may represent a potential predictive tool for surgical outcomes in RRD. The results reported in this study suggest that OCTA is a useful ancillary test for clinical disease management.

QUANTITATIVE MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE FEATURES OF REMODELING OF HEMOMICROCIRCULATORY VESSELS IN THE TESTIS OF EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS AT CONDITIONS OF ETHANOL INTOXICATION

Ethanol is classifi ed as a vascular poison, long-term intoxication of which negatively aff ects almost all organs and systems body of humans and experimental animals. Morphological changes in testes during ethanol poisoning have not been studied enough. The aim of the study was a quantitative morphological analysis of the features of the remodeling of blood vessels of the hemomicrocirculatory bed of the left and right testes at conditions of ethanol intoxication. The structures of the left and right testis of 30 white male rats, which were divided into 2 groups, were morphologically and morphometrically studied. The 1 group included 15 intact animals, the 2-15 rats, which were injected intragastrically with a 30 % ethanol solution at the rate of 2 ml per 100 g of body weight for 28 days once a day. A month after the start of the experiment, the experimental animals were euthanized by bloodletting under thiopental anesthesia. Histological and semithin sections were made from testes. The outer and inner diameters, wall thickness of arterioles, precapillary arterioles, hemocapillaries, postcapillary venules and venules were determined. Quantitative indicators were processed statistically.It was established that twenty- eight days of ethanol intoxication in laboratory sexually mature white male rats leads to pronounced remodeling of the blood vessels of the hemomicrocirculatory bed of the left and right testes, which is characterized by narrowing of the lumens and thickening of the walls of its arterial (arterioles, precapillary arterioles) and exchange (hemocapillaries) vessels. pronounced expansion and thinning of the walls of postcapillary venules and venules, venous hemoptysis, hypoxia, dystrophic- necrotic changes in cells, stromal structures, infi ltration and sclerosis. The revealed remodeling of blood vessels of the hemomicrocirculatory bed in conditions of ethanol poisoning dominates in the left testicle.

Quantitative analysis and comprehensive evaluation of coarse aggregate morphology for asphalt pavement

The morphological characteristics of coarse aggregate play a crucial role in the mechanical properties, durability, and construction performance of asphalt mixtures and pavements in highway engineering. This study aims to quantitatively analyze the morphological characteristics of coarse aggregate and establish comprehensive evaluation indicators for its quality and performance. Two-dimensional cross-sectional images of coarse aggregates are obtained using the self-developed laser scanning equipment, and edge features are extracted using the Canny operator and edge tracing algorithm. Six morphological characteristic indicators are selected, and factor analysis is employed to propose comprehensive shape and edge feature for coarse aggregates. The results show that the proposed evaluation indicators effectively capture the shape and edge feature of coarse aggregates, with the exception of roughness, which is deemed unsuitable for evaluation. Factor analysis of six indicator values in 2,700 two-dimensional images led to the proposal of Shape Factor (SF) and Edge Feature Factor (EFF) as significant factors affecting aggregate shape and edge characteristics, respectively. Following optimization, SF ranged from 0.041 to 1.793, while EFF ranged from 0.368 to 1.745. The spearman’s rank correlation coefficient revealed strong correlations between the evaluation of coarse aggregate shape and edge features using the line laser-based comprehensive evaluation index. Specifically, correlation coefficients of 0.864 and 0.805 exceeded those of commonly used methods such as AIMS and X-ray CT, indicating the rationality and accuracy of the self-developed laser scanning device in evaluating aggregate morphology. This research provides strong support for the construction of highway engineering and optimization of coarse aggregate production and supply.

Retracted: The Use of a Hypoallergenic Dermal Matrix for Wrapping in Peripheral Nerve Lesions Regeneration: Functional and Quantitative Morphological Analysis in an Experimental Animal Model.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2019/4750624.].

An experimental investigation into the influence of water column height in submerged mode of abrasive waterjet trepanning on the hole quality

Abrasive waterjet (AWJ) trepanning/drilling exhibits immense potential to realize holes of various shapes and sizes in a diverse range of materials, ranging from soft-and-ductile to hard-and-brittle, making it highly valuable for various industries. AWJ trepanning offers the advantage of not requiring tool changes to accommodate different hole shapes and sizes; adjusting the jet path can produce the desired hole geometry, proving exceptionally advantageous for mass production. However, the stochastic nature of the jet results in geometrical errors (diametric deviation, taper angle (α)), form errors (circularity error (Ce), cylindricity error (Cy)) and quality issues (damage region, edge radius (R), surface roughness (Ra), and waviness (Wa)). To address these issues, trepanning in submerged mode can be adopted as it attenuates the mist region and aggressiveness of the jet. This study analyzes the influence of the submerged mode of trepanning on the geometry, form, and quality of trepanned holes relative to the in-air mode. The study found that submerged trepanning produces a more consistent hole diametrical profile along the depth and minimizes the average Ce and α by 23.18 % and 29.20 %, respectively. The maximum Cy in in-air trepanning was reduced in submerged mode by 36.76 %. The average damage region and R reduced by 50.80 % and 35.49 %, respectively. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the trepanned surface morphology is presented in-air and submerged mode: the results show that the Ra and Wa decrease at the hole entry and middle zone and increase at the exit zone. Finally, the process parameters level settings for achieving near-optimal trepanning responses (α, Cy, Ce, damage region, R, Ra, and Wa) suggested with the help of mean response- and parallel coordinate- plots. Micrographs of submerged trepanned surfaces show that the material removal mechanism (MRM) governs by shallower craters and grooves at the entry and middle zone of the hole, and at the exit zone, the MRM is random, in comparison to the in-air mode.

The first living cervid species described in the 21st century and revalidation of Pudella (Artiodactyla)

Abstract Several issues regarding the systematics and taxonomy of the Neotropical deer tribe Odocoileini, an assemblage of 18 recognized living species currently allocated into 7 genera, remain unclear. The few available phylogenetic analyses indicate that some genera are not monophyletic and that species richness in the group is underestimated. One genus that presents both problems are the stocky and short-legged dwarf deer, Pudu. As currently understood, it includes 2 species, the Northern pudu, Pudu mephistophiles from Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia; and the Southern pudu, P. puda, from southern Chile and nearby Argentina. Here, by means of qualitative and quantitative morphologic analysis and the assessment of genetic variation, we showed that 2 distinct species are encompassed by the current concept of P. mephistophiles. The typical form distributes north of the Huancabamba Depression from northernmost Peru to the north (Ecuador and Colombia), while the other distributes south of the Huancabamba Depression and is a Peruvian endemic. As no name is available for the last one, we describe and name it here. This is the first living cervid species described in the 21st century and the first from the New World in over 60 years. Additionally, as the Southern Pudu (the type species of Pudu) is not sister to the 2 northern pudu species, we revalidate the genus Pudella to allocate the latter 2 species.

Parallel Streams of Direct Corticogeniculate Feedback from Mid-level Extrastriate Cortex in the Macaque Monkey.

First-order thalamic nuclei receive feedforward signals from peripheral receptors and relay these signals to primary sensory cortex. Primary sensory cortex, in turn, provides reciprocal feedback to first-order thalamus. Because the vast majority of sensory thalamocortical inputs target primary sensory cortex, their complementary corticothalamic neurons are assumed to be similarly restricted to primary sensory cortex. We upend this assumption by characterizing morphologically diverse neurons in multiple mid-level visual cortical areas of the primate (Macaca mulatta) brain that provide direct feedback to the primary visual thalamus, the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). Although the majority of geniculocortical neurons project to primary visual cortex (V1), a minority, located mainly in the koniocellular LGN layers, provide direct input to extrastriate visual cortex. These "V1-bypassing" projections may be implicated in blindsight. We hypothesized that geniculocortical inputs directly targeting extrastriate cortex should be complemented by reciprocal corticogeniculate circuits. Using virus-mediated circuit tracing, we discovered corticogeniculate neurons throughout three mid-level extrastriate areas: MT, MST, and V4. Quantitative morphological analyses revealed nonuniform distributions of unique cell types across areas. Many extrastriate corticogeniculate neurons had spiny stellate morphology, suggesting possible targeting of koniocellular LGN layers. Importantly though, multiple morphological types were observed across areas. Such morphological diversity could suggest parallel streams of V1-bypassing corticogeniculate feedback at multiple stages of the visual processing hierarchy. Furthermore, the presence of corticogeniculate neurons across visual cortex necessitates a reevaluation of the LGN as a hub for visual information rather than a simple relay.

Quantitative Analysis of Morphology and Function in the Fetal Heart with Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation by Speckle Tracking Imaging.

Morphology and function in a fetal heart with severe tricuspid regurgitation remains challenging. The aim of this study was to assess cardiac morphology and function in fetuses with severe tricuspid regurgitation by fetal heart quantification (HQ) and to assess the practical value of fetal HQ. Clinical information was analyzed for 63 pregnant women who underwent fetal cardiac ultrasonography. The women were divided into those who had a fetus with severe tricuspid regurgitation (n = 20) and those with a normal fetus (n = 40). The global sphericity index (GSI), fractional area change (FAC), and global longitudinal strain (GLS) of both ventricles and the sphericity index (SI) and fractional shortening (FS) of 24 segments were quantified by fetal HQ using speckle tracking imaging. Fetuses with severe tricuspid regurgitation had a significantly lower GSI (1.14 ± 0.10 vs. 1.26 ± 0.08, p < 0.001) and a higher GSI Z-score (-0.98 ± 1.01 vs. 0.25 ± 0.87, p < 0.001) as well as a significantly lower right ventricular FAC (36.50 ± 7.34% vs. 45.19 ± 3.39%, p < 0.001), FAC Z-score (-1.02 ± 1.41 vs. 0.49 ± 0.74, p < 0.001), and GLS (-21.01 ± 5.66% vs. 45.19 ± 3.49%, p < 0.001). The SI and SI Z-score were significantly lower in segments 1-18 of the right ventricle in fetuses with severe tricuspid regurgitation (p < 0.05); furthermore, FS of segments 1-12 and 19-24 and the FS Z-score of segments 18-24 were significantly lower in fetuses with severe tricuspid regurgitation (p < 0.05). Fetal HQ is useful for evaluation of cardiac morphology and function in fetuses with severe tricuspid regurgitation and can provide important reference information for both clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Microtubule-binding protein MAP1B regulates interstitial axon branching of cortical neurons via the tubulin tyrosination cycle

Regulation of directed axon guidance and branching during development is essential for the generation of neuronal networks. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie interstitial (or collateral) axon branching in the mammalian brain remain unresolved. Here, we investigate interstitial axon branching in vivo using an approach for precise labeling of layer 2/3 callosal projection neurons (CPNs). This method allows for quantitative analysis of axonal morphology at high acuity and also manipulation of gene expression in well-defined temporal windows. We find that the GSK3β serine/threonine kinase promotes interstitial axon branching in layer 2/3 CPNs by releasing MAP1B-mediated inhibition of axon branching. Further, we find that the tubulin tyrosination cycle is a key downstream component of GSK3β/MAP1B signaling. These data suggest a cell-autonomous molecular regulation of cortical neuron axon morphology, in which GSK3β can release a MAP1B-mediated brake on interstitial axon branching upstream of the posttranslational tubulin code.

External Spatial Morphology of Creative Industries Parks in the Industrial Heritage Category Based on Spatial Syntax: Taking Tianjin as an Example

Industrial heritage creative industrial parks are an organic component of historical neighborhood buildings. According to several field visits and surveys of creative industrial parks, it has been found that the external space of some creative industrial parks does not meet the needs of the people. This research primarily investigates the critical factors influencing the usability of external spaces in these revitalization projects. Spatial syntax, a field that has seen considerable advancement in recent years, offers a more scientific approach to understanding spatial relationships. Therefore, this paper employs spatial syntax as its principal methodology. It conducts a quantitative analysis of the external spatial morphology of four creative industrial parks of industrial heritage in Tianjin. The study critically evaluates the syntactic values and identifies issues in the external spatial morphology, including a dearth of cultural elements and limited environmental richness. Furthermore, it provides recommendations for the enhancement of these external spaces. The aim is to furnish data support and strategic insights to invigorate the revitalization efforts of Tianjin’s industrial heritage creative industrial parks.

PathoGraph: An Attention-Based Graph Neural Network Capable of Prognostication Based on CD276 Labelling of Malignant Glioma Cells.

Computerized methods have been developed that allow quantitative morphological analyses of whole slide images (WSIs), e.g., of immunohistochemical stains. The latter are attractive because they can provide high-resolution data on the distribution of proteins in tissue. However, many immunohistochemical results are complex because the protein of interest occurs in multiple locations (in different cells and also extracellularly). We have recently established an artificial intelligence framework, PathoFusion which utilises a bifocal convolutional neural network (BCNN) model for detecting and counting arbitrarily definable morphological structures. We have now complemented this model by adding an attention-based graph neural network (abGCN) for the advanced analysis and automated interpretation of such data. Classical convolutional neural network (CNN) models suffer from limitations when handling global information. In contrast, our abGCN is capable of creating a graph representation of cellular detail from entire WSIs. This abGCN method combines attention learning with visualisation techniques that pinpoint the location of informative cells and highlight cell-cell interactions. We have analysed cellular labelling for CD276, a protein of great interest in cancer immunology and a potential marker of malignant glioma cells/putative glioma stem cells (GSCs). We are especially interested in the relationship between CD276 expression and prognosis. The graphs permit predicting individual patient survival on the basis of GSC community features. Our experiments lay a foundation for the use of the BCNN-abGCN tool chain in automated diagnostic prognostication using immunohistochemically labelled histological slides, but the method is essentially generic and potentially a widely usable tool in medical research and AI based healthcare applications.

Novel in vitro evidence on the beneficial effect of quercetin treatment in vascular calcification.

Vascular calcification is a pathological chronic condition characterized by calcium crystal deposition in the vessel wall and is a recurring event in atherosclerosis, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes. The lack of effective therapeutic treatments opened the research to natural products, which have shown promising potential in inhibiting the pathological process in different experimental models. This study investigated the anti-calcifying effects of Quercetin and Berberine extracts on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) treated with an inorganic phosphate solution for 7days. Quercetin has shown the highest anti-calcifying activity, as revealed by the intracellular quantitative assay and morphological analysis. Confocal microscopy revealed downregulation of RUNX2, a key marker for calcified phenotype, which was otherwise upregulated in calcified VSMCs. To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of Quercetin, culture media were subjected to immunometric assays to quantify the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α, and the caspase-1 activity. As expected, calcified VSMCs released a large quantity of inflammatory mediators, significantly decreasing in the presence of Quercetin. In summary, our findings suggest that Quercetin counteracted calcification by attenuating the VSMC pathological phenotypic switch and reducing the inflammatory response. In our opinion, these preliminary in vitro findings could be the starting point for further investigations into the beneficial effects of Quercetin dietary supplementation against vascular calcification.