Outlier classification using autoencoders: Application for fluctuation driven flows in fusion plasmas.

Understanding the statistics of fluctuation driven flows in the boundary layer of magnetically confined plasmas is desired to accurately model the lifetime of the vacuum vessel components. Mirror Langmuir probes (MLPs) are a novel diagnostic that uniquely allow us to sample the plasma parameters on a time scale shorter than the characteristic time scale of their fluctuations. Sudden large-amplitude fluctuations in the plasma degrade the precision and accuracy of the plasma parameters reported by MLPs for cases in which the probe bias range is of insufficient amplitude. While some data samples can readily be classified as valid and invalid, we find that such a classification may be ambiguous for up to 40% of data sampled for the plasma parameters and bias voltages considered in this study. In this contribution, we employ an autoencoder (AE) to learn a low-dimensional representation of valid data samples. By definition, the coordinates in this space are the features that mostly characterize valid data. Ambiguous data samples are classified in this space using standard classifiers for vectorial data. In this way, we avoid defining complicated threshold rules to identify outliers, which require strong assumptions and introduce biases in the analysis. By removing the outliers that are identified in the latent low-dimensional space of the AE, we find that the average conductive and convective radial heat fluxes are between approximately 5% and 15% lower as when removing outliers identified by threshold values. For contributions to the radial heat flux due to triple correlations, the difference is up to 40%.

Diversity of Stink Bugs (Pentatomidae) Associated with Canola: Looking for Potential Pests.

Canola (Brassicaceae: Brassica spp.) is an important feedstock for biodiesel production and a potential ingredient for use in the food industry. In different continents, various arthropod pests damage canola plants. Stink bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) are present in all zoogeographical regions, and many species are recognized by their economic importance as crop pests. Our aim was to describe the composition, structure, and diversity of the assemblage of stink bugs sampled on canola in southern Brazil. A total of 878 pentatomids were captured, belonging to 27 species. The dominant species were Euschistus heros (F.) (n = 439), Dichelops furcatus (F.) (n = 160), and Nezara viridula L. (n = 79). The species richness estimators indicated the samples correspond from 79.7 to 93.1% of the richness estimated. Comparing canola to other monocultures, the richness of Pentatomidae was much superior. Otherwise, when compared to studies conducted in native vegetation and urban fragments, the richness is similar, and sometimes higher. This relatively high number of associations brings out the vulnerability of the canola fields according to the expansion of its cultivated area. Nine species of Pentatomidae are recorded on canola for the first time in Brazil. The most abundant species reported here are often stressed as stink bugs of economic importance in agro-ecosystems. The economic importance of each species varies greatly depending on the plant attacked. Detailed studies are needed to evaluate the damage caused to canola by stink bugs.

Comparing vegetation types and anthropic disturbance levels in the Atlantic forest: how do Pentatomoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) assemblages respond?

The Atlantic Forest (AF) is considered the most fragmented and endangered Brazilian biome. The diversity of phytophagous insects increases after disturbances in forests, and it was hypothesized the Pentatomidae can furnish ecologically reliable information in terms of diversity in response to the changes occurring in AF. Our aim was to quantify the response of assemblages of Pentatomoidea to gradient of human disturbance in two vegetation types of the AF-dense ombrophilous forest (DOF) and mixed ombrophilous forest (MOF). Twelve transects were grouped into environmental classes, namely open, intermediate, and closed. Overall, 1,017 pentatomoids were sampled, representing 64 species. The open environment was more abundant than closed environment, though it is expected that Pentatomoidea respond with increasing abundance when under light or moderate disturbance. The MOF was more abundant than DOF, and the composition differed between both of them. Given the differences in composition between MOF and DOF, abiotic variables are important factors acting as environmental filters for Pentatomoidea, not just directly on the insects, but probably also on the nutritional support of their host plants.

Morphology of immatures of Caonabo pseudoscylax (Bergroth) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

Characters of immatures are potentially useful in identifying taxa, but few immatures of Pentatomidae were described. The objectives here are to describe the egg and five nymphal instars of Caonabo pseudoscylax (Bergroth) under light and scanning electron microscopy. Adults, eggs, and nymphs were collected on Homolepsis glutinosa during 2008, in Criciúma (Santa Catarina, Brazil). The egg of C. pseudoscylax is subcylindrical, chorion reddish brown, slightly translucent, and with granulate surface. Aero-micropylar processes translucent, spongy, and strongly clavate. Nymphs without punctures, spiracles placed near the lateral abdominal margin. The dorsal abdominal gland has rounded ostioles bearing cuticular valve; spout peritreme smooth, directed anteriorly; evaporatorium network-shaped; and microsculpture poorly ornamented. Humeral angles of the pronotum were produced from fourth instar. The almost marginal placement of abdominal spiracles may diagnose the nymphs of C. pseudoscylax from first instar to adulthood.

On the genus Chinavia orian: additions to the descriptions of three species (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

Chinavia Orian has 79 nominal species, 32 of them occur in Brazil, and intraspecific chromatic or morphological variations are known for both immatures and adults of some species. Additions to the descriptions of Chinavia difficilis (Stål), Chinavia geniculata (Dallas), and Chinavia obstinata (Stål) are provided in here, and corrections are proposed for the pictorial key by Schwertner & Grazia for the Brazilian species of Chinavia. New distribution records are also given for the first two species.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a "benign" tumor with hepatic metastasis after 11 years.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) constitue the largest category of primary non-epithelial neoplasms of the stomach and small bowel. They are characterized by a remarkable cellular variability and their malignant potential is sometimes difficult to predict. Very recent studies, using mitotic count and tumor size as the best determinants of biological behavior, divide GISTs into three groups: benign, borderline and malignant tumors. We report on a male patient who underwent a right hepatectomy for a large metastasis 11 years after the surgical treatment of an antral-pyloric gastric neoplasm, histologically defined as leiomyoblastoma and with clinical, morphological and immunohistochemical features of benignity (low mitotic count, tumor size < 5 cm, low cellular proliferation index). Histological and immunohistochemical analysis of the hepatic metastasis showed the cellular proliferation index (Ki-67) to be positive in 25% of neoplastic cells, as opposed to the primary gastric tumor in which Ki-67 was positive in only 5% of neoplastic cells. In conclusion, although modern immunohistochemical techniques are now available to obtain useful prognostic information, the malignant potential of GISTs is sometimes difficult to predict: neoplasms clinically and histologically defined as benign could metastasize a long time after oncologically correct surgical treatment. Therefore, benign GISTs also require consistent, long-term follow-up.

[Lymph-node inflammatory pseudotumor with granulomatous component. Report of a case and review of the literature]. / Pseudotumore infiammatorio del linfonodo con componente granulomatosa. Descrizione di un caso e revisione della letteratura.

A case of inflammatory pseudotumor of lymph node in a 65 year-old man is described. The case is striking because of a granulomatous component within the lesion, a finding unpreviously described. This lesion, benign by nature, should not be misinterpreted as a neoplastic process, especially lymphomas or soft tissue tumors; problems related to the differential diagnosis are also discussed.

[Proposal for a semiqualitative evaluation method for AgNORs (rap score)]. / Proposta di un metodo di valutazione semiquantitativa delle AgNORs (rap score).

Nucleolar Organiser Regions (NORs) can be stained in paraffin embedded specimens by a simple silver technique: the black dots formed, called AgNORs, have usually been counted only by eye with "careful focusing", a time-consuming and subjective method. Therefore we propose a new semiquantitative approach based on three patterns of AgNORs configuration of increasing malignancy as previously described by Crocker et al: 1) AgNORs fully aggregated to form a solitary argyrophil structure (pattern RESTING: -R-); 2) AgNORs lying within nucleolus and nucleoplasm (Pattern ACTIVATED: -A-); 3) Numerous small AgNORs distributed through the nucleoplasm, without nucleolar structures (Pattern PROLIFERATING: -P-). We assigned a numerical value to each pattern: R = 1; A = 2; P = 3. These values are multiplied by the relative rate in 100 cells. Eventually we obtain a score (range 100-300): this method shows significant correlation (r = 0.8363: regression equation) compared to the usual count obtained "by eye", tested on a sample of 150 breast cancer. Further studies are under way to validate this method which may represent a cheap and useful tool in AgNORs evaluation.

Iron protein succynilate in the treatment of iron deficiency: potential interaction with H2-receptor antagonists.

A prospective, open, multicenter clinical trial was set up to evaluate the potential interaction of ITF 282 with H2-receptor antagonists in patients affected with iron deficiency. Patients treated with H2 blockers and affected with iron deficiency or iron deficient anemia were given one tablet of ITF 282 (60 mg iron) twice daily for 60 days. A second group of iron deficient patients with no anti H2 concurrent treatment were admitted to the same iron treatment, lasting 60 days. To evaluate the outcome of the iron treatment, a comprehensive assessment of laboratory and clinical determinations was adopted in all the patients: special hematology, symptomatology, safety hematology and hematochemistry, urinalysis. Fifty-three patients with iron deficiency and 47 patients affected with overt iron deficient anemia entered the study. After treatment, a significant trend toward the normalization of the main hematologic parameters in both groups was detected. The general tolerability was apparently more favorable in the patients who had also the antiulcer (1 event of diarrhoea) than in those who had ITF 282 alone (2 heartburn, 3 constipation, 2 abdominal pain). There were no indications of subgroups of patients particularly at risk of adverse events, all of which resulted reversible without the need to reduce the dose of medication or to take other medical action. ITF 282 resulted, also when administered together with H2-receptor antagonists, in the expected therapeutic efficacy, with the expected clinical tolerability and biological safety, without signs of possible interaction, negative or positive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Gastric lymphoma. Anatomo-clinical and prognostic correlations]. / Linfoma gastrico. Correlazioni anatomo-cliniche e prognostiche.

In order to assess the prognostic value of some clinicopathological factors of Gastric Lymphoma the authors reviewed 37 consecutive cases observed between 1973 and 1985 with 48 months follow up at least. Age, sex, gross features, site, histological subtype, depth of gastric wall invasion, regional lymph nodes involvement weren't useful parameters. Notable difference exists in survival according to the treatment carried out (surgery and chemoradiotherapy 100% alive & well, surgery and chemotherapy 29% a&w, surgery 17% a&w). The authors compared inflammatory cell population reactive to neoplasm to survival as possible meaningful parameter.