Semiautomated segmentation of lower extremity MRI reveals distinctive subcutaneous adipose tissue in lipedema: a pilot study.

Purpose: Lipedema is a painful subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) disease involving disproportionate SAT accumulation in the lower extremities that is frequently misdiagnosed as obesity. We developed a semiautomatic segmentation pipeline to quantify the unique lower-extremity SAT quantity in lipedema from multislice chemical-shift-encoded (CSE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Approach: Patients with lipedema (n=15) and controls (n=13) matched for age and body mass index (BMI) underwent CSE-MRI acquired from the thighs to ankles. Images were segmented to partition SAT and skeletal muscle with a semiautomated algorithm incorporating classical image processing techniques (thresholding, active contours, Boolean operations, and morphological operations). The Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) was computed for SAT and muscle automated versus ground truth segmentations in the calf and thigh. SAT and muscle volumes and the SAT-to-muscle volume ratio were calculated across slices for decades containing 10% of total slices per participant. The effect size was calculated, and Mann-Whitney U test applied to compare metrics in each decade between groups (significance: two-sided P<0.05). Results: Mean DSC for SAT segmentations was 0.96 in the calf and 0.98 in the thigh, and for muscle was 0.97 in the calf and 0.97 in the thigh. In all decades, mean SAT volume was significantly elevated in participants with versus without lipedema (P<0.01), whereas muscle volume did not differ. Mean SAT-to-muscle volume ratio was significantly elevated (P<0.001) in all decades, where the greatest effect size for distinguishing lipedema was in the seventh decade approximately midthigh (r=0.76). Conclusions: The semiautomated segmentation of lower-extremity SAT and muscle from CSE-MRI could enable fast multislice analysis of SAT deposition throughout the legs relevant to distinguishing patients with lipedema from females with similar BMI but without SAT disease.

Description of a new Promastobranchus species (Annelida, Capitellidae) from Chinese coasts, with molecular evidence for intraspecific variation in the number of thoracic chaetigers.

Promastobranchus Gallardo, 1968 is a small genus in the polychaete family Capitellidae, and the available records are largely reported from the Indo-West Pacific region. Although Gallardo (1968) and Green (2002) noted that Promastobranchus species had intraspecific variation in the number of thoracic chaetigers when they described the two previously known species, this variation has not been corroborated using molecular evidence. In this study, a new Promastobranchus species, Promastobranchusvariabilissp. nov., is described based on 29 specimens collected from the Beibu Gulf, South China Sea. The new species is mainly characterized by having a tessellated epithelium in the anterior thorax, nine teeth in three rows above the main fang in the abdominal hooks, four pairs of genital pores located on the intersegmental grooves between chaetigers 9 and 13, and its unique methyl green staining pattern. Comparisons of multiple gene markers (16S, 18S, 28S, and H3) revealed no genetic divergence (K2P < 0.003) among these type specimens with 9-13 thoracic chaetigers. In other words, the new species exhibited morphological variability in the number of thoracic chaetigers during ontogeny, and this character was unsuitable to differentiate Promastobranchus species as the ranges overlap among Promastobranchus species. This is the third Promastobranchus species known in the world, and it is now recorded along the Fujian coast.

Indications of Peripheral Pain, Dermal Hypersensitivity, and Neurogenic Inflammation in Patients with Lipedema.

Lipedema is a disease with abnormally increased adipose tissue deposition and distribution. Pain sensations have been described in the clinical evaluation of lipedema, but its etiology remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that pain sensitivity measurements and ex vivo quantitation of neuronal cell body distribution in the skin would be lipedema stage-dependent, and could, thus, serve to objectively characterize neuropathic pain in lipedema. The pain was assessed by questionnaire and peripheral cutaneous mechanical sensitization (von-Frey) in lipedema (n = 27) and control (n = 23) consenting female volunteers. Dermal biopsies from (n = 11) Stages 1-3 lipedema and control (n = 10) participants were characterized for neuronal cell body and nociceptive neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and nerve growth factor (NGF) distribution. Stage 2 or 3 lipedema participants responded positively to von Frey sensitization in the calf and thigh, and Stage 3 participants also responded in the arm. Lipedema abdominal skin displayed reduced Tuj-1+ neuronal cell body density, compared to healthy controls, while CGRP and NGF was significantly elevated in Stage 3 lipedema tissues. Together, dermal neuronal cell body loss is consistent with hyper-sensitization in patients with lipedema. Further study of neuropathic pain in lipedema may elucidate underlying disease mechanisms and inform lipedema clinical management and treatment impact.

Notomastusbermejoi, a new species of Capitellidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) from the Gulf of California, with morphological remarks on species with hooks in thoracic chaetigers.

Notomastusbermejoi sp. nov. from the Gulf of California shelf is described, illustrated, and compared with its congeners bearing hooded hooks in thoracic chaetigers. This new species is characterized by the presence of a prostomial palpode, only notopodia in the first chaetiger, hooded hooks in neuropodia of chaetiger 11, and its distinct methyl green staining pattern consisting of: chaetigers 1-4 slightly stained, chaetigers 5-10 with green bands encircling the segments, and a darker, solid, green band encircling the body in chaetigers 11-12. It is mainly distributed in the central Gulf of California in fine sand bottoms (62-96%) at 32-106.4 m depth, tolerating a wide range of temperature (13.2-17.59 °C), dissolved oxygen (0.8-4.93 ml/L), and organic carbon (3.0-7.2%). The type material and original descriptions of Notomastus species with hooks in thoracic chaetigers were examined; an identification key and tables with morphological distinctive characteristics, methyl green staining patterns, and geographic distribution of these close species are provided.

A new species of Leiochrides Augener, 1914 (Annelida: Capitellidae) from the Beibu Gulf, South China Sea.

BACKGROUND: Polychaetes of the family Capitellidae are poorly studied in Chinese waters. Amongst the known capitellid genera in China, Leiochrides Augener, 1914 is an unusual genus encountered in marine surveys. NEW INFORMATION: In this study, a Leiochrides specimen was obtained during a survey conducted in the Beibu Gulf, northern South China Sea and described herein as a new species Leiochrides guangxiensis sp. nov. The new species differs from its congeners by having uniramous chaetiger 1, chaetigers 11-12 with notopodial capillaries and neuropodial hooks, abdominal hooks with seven teeth above the main fang in three rows, pygidium with four anal cirri, and branchial fascicles with up to 17 filaments. The taxonomic status of the monospecific genus Pseudoleiocapitella Harmelin, 1964 and Leiochrides norvegicus Fauchald, 1972 are discussed.

A new species of Notomastus (Annelida, Capitellidae) from southern China, with remarks on its morphology and distribution.

The genus Notomastus is frequently encountered in Chinese waters. However, its species richness is poorly understood. In this study, a Notomastus species obtained from Xiamen Bay, southern China, was described and illustrated as a new species (N. sunae sp. nov.), based on morphological and molecular analyses. The new species is characterized by having uniramous chaetiger 1, the presence of palpode and eyespots on prostomium, chaetiger 11 with notopodial capillaries and neuropodial hooded hooks, and notopodial lobes with simple epithelial extensions on far posterior abdomen. With additional specimens collected from several localities along the southern coasts of China, the morphology and geographical distribution of the new species are discussed. A key is also provided for Notomastus species with neuropodial hooks in thoracic chaetiger 11.

First record of the genus Leiocapitella (Annelida: Capitellidae) from China with description of a new species.

The capitellid genus Leiocapitella is characterized by the possession of anterior 12-16 chaetigers exclusively with capillaries and the following 1-2 transitional chaetigers with notopodial capillaries and neuropodial hooded hooks. A new species was obtained from the continental shelf of the East China Sea, and is identified herein as Leiocapitella fujianensis. The new species differs from the other four described species by the number and location of transitional chaetigers, the dentition of abdominal hooks, and the methyl green stain on thorax. A key to all Leiocapitella species is provided in this paper.

Relocation of Dodecaseta McCammon & Stull, 1978 (Annelida, Capitellidae) in Notodasus Fauchald, 1972.

The capitellid polychaete genus Dodecaseta McCammon & Stull, 1978 is relocated in Notodasus Fauchald, 1972. Two species are redescribed based on examination of type material and three new combinations are proposed: Notodasus oraria (McCammon & Stull, 1978), N. eibyejacobseni (Green, 2002). N. fauchaldi (Green, 2002). N. kristiani (García-Garza et al., 2009), is synonymized under N. oraria. Some comments on Dasybranchus lumbricoides Grube, 1878 are included.

A new species of Amphictene (Annelida, Pectinariidae) from the Gulf of Mexico, with a redescription of Amphictene guatemalensis (Nilsson, 1928).

The genus Amphictene is reported for the first time from Mexico. Previous records for America are restricted to Brazil (Amphictene catharinensis) (Grube, 1870), and Guatemala (Amphictene guatemalensis) (Nilsson, 1928). In this paper we describe a new species, Amphictene helenae sp. n., characterized by the presence of three pairs of tentacular cirri, while other species have only two pairs. The new species is closely similar to Amphictene catharinensis, and can be distinguished by the presence of a circular group of glandular papillae inserted between the lines of glandular cirri present from the second segment. Amphictene guatemalensis is redescribed based on type material; it differs from the new species in the presence of two pairs of tentacular cirri on segments 1 and 2, six pairs of glandular cirri on the third segment, and four glandular lobes fused in pairs on the fourth segment.