A comparison between stereophotogrammetry and smartphone structured light technology for three-dimensional face scanning

ObjectivesTo compare three-dimensional facial scans obtained by stereophotogrammetry with two different applications for smartphone supporting the TrueDepth system, a structured light technology.Materials and MethodsFacial scans of 40 different subjects were acquired with three different systems. The 3dMDtrio Stereophotogrammetry System (3dMD, Atlanta, Ga) was compared with a smartphone (iPhone Xs; Apple, Cupertino, Calif) equipped with the Bellus3D Face Application (version 1.6.11; Bellus3D Inc, Campbell, Calif) or Capture (version 1.2.5; Standard Cyborg Inc, San Francisco, Calif). Times of image acquisition and elaboration were recorded. The surface-to-surface deviation and the distance between 18 landmarks from 3dMD reference images to those acquired with Bellus3D or Capture were measured.ResultsCapturing and processing times with the smartphone applications were considerably longer than with the 3dMD system. The surface-to-surface deviation analysis between the Bellus3D and 3dMD showed an overlap percentage of 80.01% ± 5.92% and 56.62% ± 7.65% within the ranges of 1 mm and 0.5 mm discrepancy, respectively. Images from Capture showed an overlap percentage of 81.40% ± 9.59% and 56.45% ± 11.62% within the ranges of 1 mm and 0.5 mm, respectively.ConclusionsThe face image acquisition with the 3dMD device is fast and accurate, but bulky and expensive. The new smartphone applications combined with the TrueDepth sensors show promising results. They need more accuracy from the operator and more compliance from the patient because of the increased acquisition time. Their greatest advantages are related to cost and portability.     

Vitamin D Deficiency in Women with Breast Cancer: A Correlation with Osteoporosis? A Machine Learning Approach with Multiple Factor Analysis

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent malignant tumor in women in Europe and North America, and the use of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) is recommended in women affected by estrogen receptor-positive BCs. AIs, by inhibiting the enzyme that converts androgens into estrogen, cause a decrement in bone mineral density (BMD), with a consequent increased risk of fragility fractures. This study aimed to evaluate the role of vitamin D3 deficiency in women with breast cancer and its correlation with osteoporosis and BMD modifications. This observational cross-sectional study collected the following data regarding bone health: osteoporosis and osteopenia diagnosis, lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD), serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), calcium and parathyroid hormone. The study included 54 women with BC, mean age 67.3 ± 8.16 years. Given a significantly low correlation with the LS BMD value (r² = 0.30, p = 0.025), we assessed the role of vitamin D3 via multiple factor analysis and found that BMD and vitamin D3 contributed to the arrangement of clusters, reported as vectors, providing similar trajectories of influence to the construction of the machine learning model. Thus, in a cohort of women with BC undergoing Ais, we identified a very low prevalence (5.6%) of patients with adequate bone health and a normal vitamin D3 status. According to our cluster model, we may conclude that the assessment and management of bone health and vitamin D3 status are crucial in BC survivors.     

Patterns of Cerebrospinal Fluid Alzheimer’s Dementia Biomarkers in People Living with HIV: Cross-Sectional Study on Associated Factors According to Viral Control,Neurological Confounders and Neurocognition

People living with HIV (PLWH) age with an excess burden of comorbidities that may increase the incidence of age-related complications. There is controversy surrounding the hypothesis that HIV can accelerate neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s dementia (AD). We performed a retrospective study to analyze the distribution of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AD biomarkers (beta amyloid 1–42 fragment, tau, and phosphorylated tau) in adult PLWH (on cART with undetectable viremia, n = 136, with detectable viremia, n = 121, and with central nervous system CNS disorders regardless of viremia, n = 72) who underwent a lumbar puncture between 2008 to 2018; HIV-negative controls with AD were included (n = 84). Five subjects (1.5%) presented CSF biomarkers that were compatible with AD: one was diagnosed with AD, whereas the others showed HIV encephalitis, multiple sclerosis, cryptococcal meningitis, and neurotoxoplasmosis. Regardless of confounders, 79.6% of study participants presented normal CSF AD biomarkers. Isolated abnormalities in CSF beta amyloid 1–42 (7.9%) and tau (10.9%) were associated with age, biomarkers of intrathecal injury, and inflammation, although no HIV-specific feature was associated with abnormal CSF patterns. CSF levels of AD biomarkers very poorly overlapped between HIV-positive clinical categories and AD controls. Despite the correlations with neurocognitive performance, the inter-relationship between amyloid and tau proteins in PLWH seem to differ from that observed in AD subjects; the main driver of the isolated increase in tau seems represented by non-specific CNS inflammation, whereas the mechanisms underlying isolated amyloid consumption remain unclear.     

Treatment of psoriasis with topical agents: Recommendations from a Tuscany Consensus

Psoriasis is a chronic and relapsing inflammatory skin disease, clinically characterized by erythematous and scaly plaques. Treatment approach is mainly driven by disease severity, though several factors should be considered in order to identify the optimal therapeutic choice. Mild psoriasis may be treated with a wide array of topical agents including corticosteroids, vitamin D analogs, keratolytics, and calcipotriol/betamethasone propionate compound. Because guidelines may not provide practical indications regarding the therapeutic approach, the use of topical agents in psoriasis is more individually tailored. In order to homogenize the standard of care, at least in a local setting, we collected the real‐life‐based recommendations for the use of topical therapies from an expert panel, the Tuscany Consensus Group on Psoriasis, representing all leading centers for psoriasis established in Tuscany. With this document, this consensus group sought to define principles guiding the selection of therapeutic agents with straightforward recommendations derived from a real‐life setting.     

Relapse in medulloblastoma: what can be done after abandoning high-dose chemotherapy? A mono-institutional experience

Purpose

We retrospectively report strategies used for medulloblastoma patients progressing after craniospinal irradiation where we aimed for: symptom control, a satisfactory quality of life, accrual in phase 1–2 trials, when available, and the first two conditions could no longer be satisfied by already experienced second-line strategies.

Methods

Surgery was used in cases of doubtful relapse or when only one site was affected. Radiotherapy was given whenever possible, especially to relieve symptoms. The main chemotherapy regimens were oral temozolomide/etoposide, intravenous (iv.) cisplatin/etoposide, iv. gemcitabine/oxaliplatin, an oral sonic hedgehog pathway inhibitor and oral melphalan.

Results

Between 1998 and 2011, we treated 18 patients relapsed after median 20 months. Nine had relapsed locally, four had dissemination, three single metastases, and two had one synchronous local and metastatic recurrence. Responses to chemotherapy were seen in 32 % of cases. The median hospital stay for treatments/complications was 19 days. The 1- and 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 28?±?10 % and 0 %, respectively, for OS, they were 44?±?12 % and 22?±?10 % but no patient was cured. The median PFS after a first relapse was 7 months (range 1–29); the median OS was 7 months (range 4–44). No patients died due to treatment toxicity. Late recurrence (more than 1–2 years after diagnosis) and involvement of single sites were favorable prognostic factors.

Conclusions

Without succeeding in patients cure, we ensured them further treatment with short hospital stay thus affording low personal and social costs. The chances of cure may emerge from tailored therapies according to genetic stratification.     

Control of multidigit grasping in Parkinson's disease: effect of object property predictability

We examined the extent to which subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD) modulate normal fingertip forces during five-digit grasping based on the object's center of mass (CM). We also tested the effect of trial-to-trial predictability of CM location on the distribution of all fingertip forces relative to thumb force. Ten right-handed subjects with PD (OFF and ON medication) and 10 healthy age-matched control subjects participated. Subjects lifted a manipulandum that measured normal forces exerted by each digit. The CM location was changed from trial-to-trial either in an unpredictable (random) or predictable (blocked) order. Discriminant analysis and information theory were used to quantify the extent to which force-sharing patterns could be discriminated as a function of CM location. All subjects modulated fingertip normal forces as a function of CM location regardless of its predictability, although larger forces were employed when its location was unpredictable. However, in controls, normal force modulation of individual fingers to the object's CM location occurred over a greater range of forces when the CM location was predictable than when it was unpredictable. In contrast, subjects with PD exhibited a similar force modulation to CM location regardless of its predictability. There was a clearer discrimination of force-sharing patterns when the CM location was predictable for controls but not for subjects with PD OFF medication. Medication improved the time course of normal force modulation to CM location. These results indicate that subjects with PD maintained the ability to modulate individual fingertip forces to the object's physical properties. Nevertheless, subjects with PD did not benefit from the a priori knowledge of object CM location to the same extent as controls. These findings support the notion that PD affects the ability to use anticipatory control mechanisms.     

Distribution of muscarinic cholinergic high and low affinity agonist binding sites: A light microscopic autoradiographic study

The distribution of high vs. low affinity muscarinic agonist binding sites has been determined using quantitative techniques of receptor autoradiography. The low affinity agonist sites predominate in many regions of the forebrain including the cerebral cortex, striatum, hippocampus, amygdala and thalamus. The high affinity agonist sites predominate in the brainstem and represent exclusively the type of muscarinic cholinergic receptor normally present in the principal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve, facial nerve nucleus, hypoglossal nerve nucleus, and in the ventral horn of the spinal cord. The regional localization of these subpopulations provides valuable information for future studies which seek to determine the functional importance of subtypes of muscarinic agonist binding sites.     

GABA-receptor stimulation enhances norepinephrine-induced polyphosphoinositide metabolism in rat hippocampal slices

The effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)receptor stimulation on norepinephrine (NE)-induced metabolism of polyphosphoinositides (PIPs) was studied in rat hippocampal slices. Inositol phosphates (IPs), PIPs, and phosphatidic acid were measured. NE induced formation of IPs and phosphatidic acid in a dose-dependent manner with an EC50 of 4.5 microM. GABA, 3-aminopropanesulphonic acid (3APS) and muscimol did not affect PIPs breakdown, but they strongly increased (greater than 100%) PIPs metabolism induced by 1 microM NE. Their action was antagonized by bicuculline (10 microM). We discuss the implications of these findings in hippocampal neurotransmission.     

Role of cardiopulmonary mechanoreceptors in the postural regulation of renin

To change the stretch on cardiopulmonary mechanoreceptors, large shifts of blood in the capacity space were elicited by tilting and by exerting positive lower body pressure in the tilted position. Twelve volunteers underwent invasive hemodynamic studies and in 10 other subjects cardiac size was determined by radionuclide cardiography. In all 22 subjects tilting caused the expected increase of renin, which was abolished by lower body compression. Decompression caused renin to increase again. Right atrial pressure in invasive studies and end-systolic and end-diastolic counts in noninvasive studies showed a significant and strong negative correlation with renin and norepinephrine levels. Thus, the degree of stretch of the cardiopulmonary mechanoreceptors is a major determinant of reflex regulation of renin release in humans.