Identifying of unripe Ambon and Hijau banana fruits using computer vision and extreme learning machine classifier

The unripe Indonesian cultivar bananas of ambon kuning (Ambon) and ambon hijau (Hijau) after harvesting show a very close looking, green colour, similar size and shape, even Ambon one is costly than the Hijau. Hence in this study, identification was conducted using computer vision utilizing banana finger image taken with a mobile phone camera. The feature used as a differentiating feature is the shape feature and the skin texture feature of the fruit. The shape features were then extracted using morphological descriptor and convex hull, while the texture features were extracted using local binary pattern (LBP). The extreme learning machine (ELM) classifier was used to recognize both cultivars. A total of 76 banana finger imagery data were used in 3-fold testing. The test results showed that the combined use of shape and LBP features resulted in the highest accuracy, precision and recall values more than 93%. These results showed that the combination of the two features can effectively be used to distinguish the unripe Ambon and Hijau bananas.

Explainable Deep Learning for Personalized Age Prediction With Brain Morphology

Predicting brain age has become one of the most attractive challenges in computational neuroscience due to the role of the predicted age as an effective biomarker for different brain diseases and conditions. A great variety of machine learning (ML) approaches and deep learning (DL) techniques have been proposed to predict age from brain magnetic resonance imaging scans. If on one hand, DL models could improve performance and reduce model bias compared to other less complex ML methods, on the other hand, they are typically black boxes as do not provide an in-depth understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) methods have been recently introduced to provide interpretable decisions of ML and DL algorithms both at local and global level. In this work, we present an explainable DL framework to predict the age of a healthy cohort of subjects from ABIDE I database by using the morphological features extracted from their MRI scans. We embed the two local XAI methods SHAP and LIME to explain the outcomes of the DL models, determine the contribution of each brain morphological descriptor to the final predicted age of each subject and investigate the reliability of the two methods. Our findings indicate that the SHAP method can provide more reliable explanations for the morphological aging mechanisms and be exploited to identify personalized age-related imaging biomarker.

Use of SPAD index in elephant grass pre-breeding

The SPAD-502 (Soil Plant Analysis Development) chlorophyll meter is a simple diagnostic tool that instantly measures the chlorophyll content of plant leaves without damaging the leaf blade. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the SPAD index as a tool for discriminating elephant grass acessions from different morphological groups. One hundred genotypes of the elephant grass Pennisetum purpureum from the Active Germplasm Bank at Embrapa Dairy Cattle, Minas Gerais, Brazil were evaluated. Following uniform cutting, six SPAD readings were taken from each accession every 60 days. Measurements were taken for two years. The experimental design was a 10 × 10 simple lattice with two replications. Joint deviance analysis for six SPAD measurements revealed great genetic variability between genotypes. SPAD values of Cameroon and Napier accessions were, on average, significantly different. The SPAD index was effective in detecting genetic variability between elephant grass acessions. However, it should not be used alone as a morphological descriptor, but in combination with other descriptors.

Definitions for Loss of Domain: An International Delphi Consensus of Expert Surgeons

Background No standardized written or volumetric definition exists for ‘loss of domain’ (LOD). This limits the utility of LOD as a morphological descriptor and as a predictor of peri- and postoperative outcomes. Consequently, our aim was to establish definitions for LOD via consensus of expert abdominal wall surgeons. Methods A Delphi study involving 20 internationally recognized abdominal wall reconstruction (AWR) surgeons was performed. Four written and two volumetric definitions of LOD were identified via systematic review. Panelists completed a questionnaire that suggested these definitions as standardized definitions of LOD. Consensus on a preferred term was pre-defined as achieved when selected by ≥80% of panelists. Terms scoring <20% were removed. Results Voting commenced August 2018 and was completed in January 2019. Written definition: During Round 1, two definitions were removed and seven new definitions were suggested, leaving nine definitions for consideration. For Round 2, panelists were asked to select all appealing definitions. Thereafter, common concepts were identified during analysis, from which the facilitators advanced a new written definition. This received 100% agreement in Round 3. Volumetric definition: Initially, panelists were evenly split, but consensus for the Sabbagh method was achieved. Panelists could not reach consensus regarding a threshold LOD value that would preclude surgery. Conclusions Consensus for written and volumetric definitions of LOD was achieved from 20 internationally recognized AWR surgeons. Adoption of these definitions will help standardize the use of LOD for both clinical and academic activities.

Estimation of Membrane Curvature for Cryo-Electron Tomography

Curvature is an important morphological descriptor of cellular membranes. Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) is particularly well-suited to visualize and analyze membrane morphology in a close-to-native state and high resolution. However, current curvature estimation methods cannot be applied directly to membrane segmentations in cryo-ET. Additionally, a reliable estimation requires to cope with quantization noise. Here, we developed and implemented a method for membrane curvature estimation from tomogram segmentations.From a membrane segmentation, a signed surface (triangle mesh) is first extracted. The triangle mesh is then represented by a graph (vertices and edges), which facilitates finding neighboring triangles and the calculation of geodesic distances necessary for local curvature estimation. Here, we present several approaches for accurate curvature estimation based on tensor voting. Beside curvatures, these methods also provide robust estimations of surface normals and principal directions.We tested the different methods on benchmark surfaces with known curvature, demonstrating the validity of these methods and their robustness to quantization noise. We also applied two of these approaches to biological cryo-ET data. The results allowed us to determine the best approach to estimate membrane curvature in cellular cryo-ET data.

GENETIC DIVERSITY IN ACCESSIONS OF Passiflora cincinnata Mast. BASED ON MORPHOAGRONOMIC DESCRIPTORS AND MOLECULAR MARKERS

ABSTRACT Passiflora cincinnata Mast. has become more popular in the market because the unusual flavor of its fruits and natural beauty of its flowers, and has great potential for breeding programs of Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa, because its resistance to diseases and drought. The objective of this work was to evaluate seven wild passion fruit (P. cincinnata) accessions, using morphological and agronomic descriptors and molecular markers type ISSR, to identify their morphoagronomic and genetic variabilities and potential for use in breeding programs. A randomized block experimental design was used with five replications and two plants per plot. Thirteen qualitative and twenty-one quantitative, vegetative and floral characteristics were used for morphoagronomic characterization. Twelve ISSR primers were evaluated for molecular characterization. Among the qualitative characteristics, only the color variations were significantly different between the accessions. According to the mean squares of the quantitative characteristics evaluated, obtained from analysis of variance, the means of accessions showed significant differences (p<0.01) for all characteristics. The IAL (internode average length) was the morphological descriptor that most contributed to diversity, with 43.12%, followed by DH5 (stem diameter at 5 cm height) and SW (sepal width). The average genetic similarity found was 68%. Despite the low genetic variability found among accessions, the primers UBC-887 and UBC-841 stood out with high percentage of polymorphism with 14 and 11 polymorphic fragments, respectively, and higher values of polymorphism information content (PIC), resolving power (RP) and marker index (MI), denoting suitability for use in diversity studies of P. cincinnata. Low variability was found among accessions evaluated.