How word semantics and phonology affect handwriting of Alzheimer's patients: A machine learning based analysis.

Using kinematic properties of handwriting to support the diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease is a real challenge: non-invasive detection techniques combined with machine learning approaches promise big steps forward in this research field. In literature, the tasks proposed focused on different cognitive skills to elicitate handwriting movements. In particular, the meaning and phonology of words to copy can compromise writing fluency.

Protein Binding of Benzofuran Derivatives: A CD Spectroscopic and In Silico Comparative Study of the Effects of 4-Nitrophenyl Functionalized Benzofurans and Benzodifurans on BSA Protein Structure.

Benzofuran derivatives are synthetic compounds that are finding an increasing interest in the scientific community not only as building blocks for the realization of new materials, but also as potential drugs thanks to their ability to interact with nucleic acids, interfere with the amyloid peptide aggregation and cancer cell cycle. However, their ability to interact with proteins is a theme still in need of investigation for the therapeutic importance that benzofurans could have in the modulation of protein-driven processes and for the possibility of making use of serum albumins as benzofurans delivery systems. To this scope, we investigated the protein binding ability of two 4-nitrophenyl-functionalized benzofurans previously synthesized in our laboratory and herein indicated as BF1 and BDF1, which differed for the number of furan rings (a single moiety in BF1, two in BDF1), using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein.

An Experimental Comparison between Deep Learning and Classical Machine Learning Approaches for Writer Identification in Medieval Documents.

In the framework of palaeography, the availability of both effective image analysis algorithms, and high-quality digital images has favored the development of new applications for the study of ancient manuscripts and has provided new tools for decision-making support systems. The quality of the results provided by such applications, however, is strongly influenced by the selection of effective features, which should be able to capture the distinctive aspects to which the paleography expert is interested in. This process is very difficult to generalize due to the enormous variability in the type of ancient documents, produced in different historical periods with different languages and styles.

From Online Handwriting to Synthetic Images for Alzheimer's Disease Detection Using a Deep Transfer Learning Approach.

Early diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD), is very important to reduce their effects and to improve both quality and life expectancy of patients. In this context, it is generally agreed that handwriting is one of the first skills altered by the onset of AD. For this reason, the analysis of handwriting and the study of its alterations has become of great interest in order to formulate the diagnosis as soon as possible.

Z-scores of fetal bladder size for antenatal differential diagnosis between posterior urethral valves and urethral atresia.

Objective: To construct reference values for fetal urinary bladder distension in pregnancy and use Z-scores as a diagnostic tool to differentiate posterior urethral valves (PUV) from urethral atresia (UA).

Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study in healthy singleton pregnancies aimed at constructing nomograms of fetal urinary bladder diameter and volume between 15 and 35 weeks' gestation. Z-scores of longitudinal bladder diameter (LBD) were calculated and validated in a cohort of fetuses with megacystis with ascertained postnatal or postmortem diagnosis, collected from a retrospective, multicenter study.

Phylogeography and demographic expansion in the widely distributed horned passalus beetle, (coleoptera: Passalidae).

Dynamic climatic oscillations during the Pleistocene had profound effects on the distribution of species across North America. Although the role of historical climate change on speciation remains controversial, the impact on genetic variation within species has been well documented. Analyses of mtDNA sequences from the gene (911 bp) for 115 individuals of was combined with ecological niche modelling (ENM) to infer the demographic and population differentiation scenarios under present and past conditions.

Performance of the FMF First-Trimester Preeclampsia-Screening Algorithm in a High-Risk Population in The Netherlands.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of the first-trimester Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) screening algorithm, including maternal characteristics and medical history, blood pressure, pregnancy-associated plasma protein A and placenta growth factor, crown rump length, and uterine artery pulsatility index, for the prediction of preeclampsia in a high-risk population in the Netherlands.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort including nulliparous women and women with preeclampsia or intrauterine growth restriction in previous pregnancy. We screened patients at 11-14 weeks of gestation to calculate the risk for preeclampsia.

Bone modifications around porous trabecular implants inserted with or without primary stability 2 months after tooth extraction: A 3-year controlled trial.

Purpose: Implant primary stability has long been considered a prerequisite for successful osseointegration. However, achieving stability may be difficult when placing implants in wide postextractive bone defects. The purpose of this study was to conduct a clinical and radiographic investigation of bone modifications at porous-structured implants inserted with or without primary stability.

Early postextraction implants may achieve osseointegration in the absence of primary stability. A pilot study.

This pilot study aimed at investigating if implants without primary stability may osseointegrate and support functional prosthesis. Patients received one Trabecular Metal implant each in posterior sockets two months after tooth extraction, combined with xenograft and a resorbable membrane. Implants were divided in three groups, based on the primary stability assessed by resonance frequency analysis.

Prediction model of postnatal renal function in fetuses with lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO)-Development and internal validation.

Objective: To develop a prediction model of postnatal renal function in fetuses with lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO) based on fetal ultrasound parameters and amniotic fluid volume.

Methods: Retrospective nationwide cohort study of fetuses with postnatally confirmed LUTO and known eGFR. Fetuses treated with fetal interventions such as vesico-amniotic shunting or cystoscopy were excluded.

Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) of the tongue and of the oral cavity: a large retrospective study.

Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) causes severe mucositis, impairs feeding and favors infection. The objective of this study was to identify the impact of GvHD in the oral cavity. We reviewed all consecutive patients who developed oral GvHD after HSCT.

Fetal megacystis: a lot more than LUTO.

Objective: Fetal megacystis presents a challenge in terms of counseling and management because of its varied etiology and evolution. The aim of this study was to present a comprehensive overview of the underlying etiologies and structural anomalies associated with fetal megacystis.

Methods: This was a retrospective multicenter study of cases referred to the fetal medicine unit of one of the eight academic hospitals in The Netherlands with a diagnosis of fetal megacystis.

Antenatal staging of congenital lower urinary tract obstruction.

Objective: To propose a staging system for congenital lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO) capable of predicting the severity of the condition and its prognosis.

Methods: This was a national retrospective study carried out at the eight Academic Hospitals in The Netherlands. We collected prenatal and postnatal data of fetuses at high risk of isolated LUTO that were managed conservatively.

Antenatal Workup of Early Megacystis and Selection of Candidates for Fetal Therapy.

Objective: To investigate the best criteria for discriminating fetuses with isolated posterior urethral valves from those theoretically not eligible for fetal treatment because of complex megacystis, high chance of spontaneous resolution, and urethral atresia.

Methods: A retrospective national study was conducted in fetuses with megacystis detected before 17 weeks' gestation (early megacystis).

Results: In total, 142 cases with fetal megacystis were included in the study: 52 with lower urinary tract obstruction, 29 with normal micturition at birth, and 61 with miscellaneous syndromal associations, chromosomal and multiple structural abnormalities (complex megacystis).

Evidence for panmixia despite barriers to gene flow in the hooked mussel, Ischadium recurvum (Mytilidae; Brachidontinae) along the North American coastline.

The discovery of phylogeographic patterns within broadly distributed marine species can be particularly challenging because absolute physical barriers to dispersal can be inconspicuous. Genetic boundaries often lie where ocean currents meet, forming sharp physical and ecological gradients, which may act as barriers to successful migrants. In eastern North America, coastal species often show phylogeographic differentiation associated with two recognized genetic barriers: the Gulf/Atlantic and the Virginia/Carolina discontinuities.

Prenatal diagnosis of LUTO: improving diagnostic accuracy.

Objective: To propose a clinical score for the optimal antenatal diagnosis of fetal lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO) in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, as an alternative to the commonly used ultrasound triad of megacystis, keyhole sign and hydronephrosis.

Methods: This was a national retrospective study carried out at the eight tertiary fetal medicine units (FMUs) in The Netherlands. Only cases referred for megacystis from the second trimester onwards and with a clear postnatal diagnosis were included in the study.

Impressive tissue regeneration of severe oral mucositis post stem cell transplantation using cord blood platelet gel.

Background: Platelet gel from cord blood (CBPG) is a recently developed blood component for topical use. We report a case of life-threatening mucositis after high-dose chemotherapy with fotemustine and cytarabine that was successfully treated with CBPG.

Case Report: A patient with non-Hodgkin lymphoma who was undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation developed severe oral and esophageal mucositis with severe bacterial sepsis and cytomegalovirus infection, causing prolonged neutropenia.

Effectiveness of 12-13-week scan for early diagnosis of fetal congenital anomalies in the cell-free DNA era.

Objectives: The main aim of this study was to assess the proportion and type of congenital anomalies, both structural and chromosomal, that can be detected at an early scan performed at 12-13 weeks' gestation, compared with at the 20-week structural anomaly scan offered under the present screening policy. Secondary aims were to evaluate the incidence of false-positive findings and ultrasound markers at both scans, and parental choice regarding termination of pregnancy (TOP).

Methods: Sonographers accredited for nuchal translucency (NT) measurement were asked to participate in the study after undergoing additional training to improve their skills in late first-trimester fetal anatomy examination.

Fetal megacystis: prediction of spontaneous resolution and outcome.

Objectives: To investigate the natural history of fetal megacystis from diagnosis in utero to postnatal outcome, and to identify prognostic indicators of spontaneous resolution and postnatal outcome after resolution.

Methods: This was a national retrospective cohort study. Fetal megacystis was defined in the first trimester as a longitudinal bladder diameter (LBD) ≥ 7 mm, and in the second and third trimesters as an enlarged bladder failing to empty during the entire extended ultrasound examination.

Prenatal Evidence of Persistent Notochord and Absent Sacrum Caused by a Mutation in the T (Brachyury) Gene.

Caudal regression syndrome (CRS) is a rare congenital disorder characterized by developmental abnormalities of caudal spinal segments. To date, the etiology of CRS is unclear; sporadic cases are strongly associated with maternal diabetes, while familiar recurrence is infrequent. We describe in detail the prenatal clinical and sonographic findings of a recently described hereditary caudal regression syndrome, in four fetuses reported to be homozygous for a mutation in the T (brachyury) gene.

Platelet gel: a new therapeutic tool with great potential.

Chronic wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers, represent a serious clinical problem for patients and clinicians. Management of these wounds has a strong economic impact worldwide. Complications resulting from injuries are a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality.

Healing of a soft tissue wound of the neck and jaw osteoradionecrosis using platelet gel.

Aim: Bone osteoradionecrosis is a serious complication of radiation treatment. Current treatment approaches are not curative and treatment response is often poor leading to high social and healthcare costs.

Case Report: We report on the first case of osteoradionecrosis with successful restitutio ab integro by repeated administration of platelet gel (PLT-gel) and surgery in a critically ill patient.