Effectiveness of Histopathological Examination of Ultrasound-guided Puncture Biopsy Samples for Diagnosis of Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of histopathological examination of ultrasound-guided puncture biopsy samples in extrapulmonary tuberculosis(EPTB).Methods This study was conducted at the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center.A total of 115patients underwent ultrasound-guided puncture biopsy,followed by MGIT 960 culture(culture),smear,Gene Xpert MTB/RIF(Xpert),and histopathological examination.These assays were performed to evaluate their effectiveness in diagnosing EPTB in comparison to two different diagnostic criteria:liquid culture and composite reference standard(CRS).Results When CRS was used as the reference standard,the sensitivity and specificity of culture,smear,Xpert,and histopathological examination were(44.83%,89.29%),(51.72%,89.29%),(70.11%,96.43%),and(85.06%,82.14%),respectively.Based on liquid culture tests,the sensitivity and specificity of smear,Xpert,and pathological examination were(66.67%,72.60%),(83.33%,63.01%),and(92.86%,45.21%),respectively.Histopathological examination showed the highest sensitivity but lowest specificity.Further,we found that the combination of Xpert and histopathological examination showed a sensitivity of 90.80%and a specificity of 89.29%.Conclusion Ultrasound-guided puncture sampling is safe and effective for the diagnosis of EPTB.Compared with culture,smear,and Xpert,histopathological examination showed higher sensitivity but lower specificity.The combination of histopathology with Xpert showed the best performance characteristics.

Histopathological Patterns and Early Postoperative Complications among Patients with Surgically Treated Thyroid Diseases at Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania

Background: Thyroid diseases are among the leading endocrine disorders affecting a large proportion of people worldwide and show geographical variation in incidence and histopathological pattern related to age, sex, dietary and environmental factors. Histopathological patterns of surgically treated thyroid diseases play an important role in early diagnosis and management of these diseases. There is, however, limited published data regarding histopathological reports on thyroid disease in our local setting. This study aimed to determine the histopathological patterns and highlight early postoperative complications among patients with surgically treated thyroid diseases at Bugando Medical Centre (BMC). Methods: This was a longitudinal study involving all patients with surgically treated thyroid diseases seen at BMC over a period of 6 months from October 2019 to March 2020. Results: A total of 84 patients were studied. Females outnumbered males by a female to male ratio of 11:1. The median age of patients was 44 [IQR, 35 - 54] years old, the youngest was 14 years old and the oldest was 76 years old. Colloid goiter was the most common non-neoplastic lesion accounting for 34 (44.7%) patients. Among the neoplastic lesions, follicular adenoma was the most commonly encountered benign pathologies (n = 16;21.1%), while papillary carcinoma was the most commonly encountered malignancy (n = 4;50%). Following thyroidectomy, 12 (14.3%) patients developed early complications, of which hemorrhage sometimes requiring blood transfusion was the leading intra/postoperative complications accounting for 4 (33.3%) patients. Other complications include temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy 2 (16.7%), surgical site infection 2 (16.7%) and tracheomalacia, bronchospasm, thyroid abscess and respiratory obstruction in 1 (8.3%) patient each, respectively. In this study, malignant thyroid lesion (p Conclusion: This study demonstrated that colloid goiter was the most common non-neoplastic lesion, and on the neoplastic category, follicular adenoma was the most common benign lesion, while papillary carcinoma was the most frequent malignant lesion.

Isolation,identification,and virulence gene analysis of pathogenic Aeromonas dhakensis in Macrobrachium rosenbergii and histopathological observation

To identify the cause of mass mortality of adult Macrobrachium rosenbergii in a farm in Gaoyou City,Jiangsu Province,China,a dominant strain named DKQ-1 was isolated from the hepatopancreas of dying M.rosenbergii and identified as Aeromonas dhakensis by purification culture,biochemical characterization,and 16S rRNA and gyrB gene sequence analysis.The results of the challenge test revealed that the strain was highly pathogenic and the 50%lethal dose(LD_(50))in 72 h to M.rosenbergii was 1.54×10^(5)CFU/mL.The amplification results of virulence genes show that strain DKQ-1 carried 9 virulence genes,including ascV,aexT,aer,act,lip,ompAI,gcaT,acg,and exu,supporting the strong virulence of strain DKQ-1 to M.rosenbergii.Histopathological observation of the hepatopancreas,gills,and intestines indicated that DKQ-1 injection into M.rosenbergii could cause serious tissue damage,which further supported the strong virulence of this strain.In addition,a drug susceptibility test revealed that strain DKQ-1 was sensitive to 16 kinds of antibiotics,resistant to 9 kinds of antibiotics,and had intermediate resistance to spectinomycin and kanamycin.This study is the first report of A.dhakensis isolated from M.rosenbergii and provided a reference for the pathogen identification of bacterial diseases in M.rosenbergii,and for the prevention and treatment caused by A.dhakensis.

Histopathological impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the liver:Cellular damage and long-term complications

Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),caused by the highly pathogenic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2),primarily impacts the respiratory tract and can lead to severe outcomes such as acute respiratory distress syndrome,multiple organ failure,and death.Despite extensive studies on the pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2,its impact on the hepatobiliary system remains unclear.While liver injury is commonly indicated by reduced albumin and elevated bilirubin and transaminase levels,the exact source of this damage is not fully understood.Proposed mechanisms for injury include direct cytotoxicity,collateral damage from inflammation,drug-induced liver injury,and ischemia/hypoxia.However,evidence often relies on blood tests with liver enzyme abnormalities.In this comprehensive review,we focused solely on the different histopathological manifestations of liver injury in COVID-19 patients,drawing from liver biopsies,complete autopsies,and in vitro liver analyses.We present evidence of the direct impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the liver,substantiated by in vitro observations of viral entry mechanisms and the actual presence of viral particles in liver samples resulting in a variety of cellular changes,including mitochondrial swelling,endoplasmic reticulum dilatation,and hepatocyte apoptosis.Additional ly,we describe the diverse liver pathology observed during COVID-19 infection,encompassing necrosis,steatosis,cholestasis,and lobular inflammation.We also discuss the emergence of long-term complications,notably COVID-19-related secondary sclerosing cholangitis.Recognizing the histopathological liver changes occurring during COVID-19 infection is pivotal for improving patient recovery and guiding decision-making.

Histopathological Evaluation of the Cardiotoxicity of Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine on Male Albino Rats

Problem Statement: Malaria’s global impact necessitates effective treatments, like dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA/PQP), though safety concerns, notably drug-induced cardiotoxicity (DICT), persist. A knowledge gap exists regarding DHA/PQP’s cardiac effects, warranting a comprehensive investigation. Approach: This study aimed to assess KROSH (DHA/PQP) impact on albino rat heart histology, examining structural changes and potential cardiotoxicity. 40 albino rats were grouped by KROSH dosage and duration, monitored for weight changes, and heart tissues were examined using hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining. Statistical analysis compared to control and treated groups. Results: KROSH administration led to varying rat weight effects, yet not statistically significant. Histological analysis revealed dose and duration-dependent cardiac tissue alterations, including distortion, adipose deposits, artery hypertrophy, fibrosis, and necrosis. These contrasts with prior research documenting DHA/PQP’s non-toxic effects. Conclusion/Recommendation: This study highlights potential KROSH (DHA/PQP) cardiotoxicity concerns through histological changes, underscoring the need for further research into underlying mechanisms and human health implications. Given DHA/PQP’s wide use, these findings should inform safety evaluations and administration practices.

Histopathological and Ultrasound Correlation in Women Presenting with Breast Lumps in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Context: Breast cancer is very deadly among women with higher rates in the developing world. Imaging tools such as ultrasound, can be used to differentiate between the types of breast lumps. This study aimed to determine the value of ultrasound as a first-line examination in the diagnosis of breast masses. Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of women presenting with breast lumps from November 2022 to June 2023 at the Yaounde General Hospital, which lasted seven months, from November 2022 to June 2023. The sampling was exhaustive and consecutive. Association between variables was studied using the x2 test and concordance between ultrasound and histopathological findings was assessed using the Kappa correlation coefficient. Results: 234 women were included in the study. Their mean age was 46.3 ± 11.4 years. Overall, 15 (6.4%) lumps were benign while 219 (93.6%) were malignant. Triple negative (5.6%) was the most recurrent genomic classification. The correlation between the ultrasound and histopathological findings was significant, with an observed concordance rate at 85.1%, kappa = 0.322 and a p-value Conclusion: The performance of ultrasound in differentiating benign and malignant lesion was high. However, the discordant cases highlight the need for a diagnosis system which blends histopathological and radiological findings for an improved management of patients with breast lumps.

Clinical implications and mechanism of histopathological growth pattern in colorectal cancer liver metastases

Liver is the most common site of metastases of colorectal cancer,and liver metastases present with distinct histopathological growth patterns(HGPs),including desmoplastic,pushing and replacement HGPs and two rare HGPs.HGP is a miniature of tumor-host reaction and reflects tumor biology and pathological features as well as host immune dynamics.Many studies have revealed the association of HGPs with carcinogenesis,angiogenesis,and clinical outcomes and indicates HGP functions as bond between microscopic characteristics and clinical implications.These findings make HGP a candidate marker in risk stratification and guiding treatment decision-making,and a target of imaging observation for patient screening.Of note,it is crucial to determine the underlying mechanism shaping HGP,for instance,immune infiltration and extracellular matrix remodeling in desmoplastic HGP,and aggressive characteristics and special vascularization in replacement HGP(rHGP).We highlight the importance of aggressive features,vascularization,host immune and organ structure in formation of HGP,hence propose a novel"advance under camouflage"hypothesis to explain the formation of rHGP.

Epidemiological and Histopathological Aspects of Chronic Gastritis at the Departmental University Teaching Hospital of Borgou Alibori (CHUD-BA) from 2011 to 2021

Background: Gastritis is better evaluated nowadays since the advent of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Despite the availability of this workup in Benin Republic, there is a scarcity of data on chronic gastritis. Objective: This work aimed to study the epidemiological and histopathological aspects of chronic gastritis in the Departmental University Teaching Hospital of Borgou Alibori (CHUD-B/A) from 2011 to 2021. Method: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study with descriptive and analytical purposes, carried out from February 23, 2022 to May 23, 2022, among patients who had undergone gastric biopsy and/or gastrectomy from January 2011 to January 2022 (10 year), and whose specimens were sent into the histopathology section of the CHUD-B/A. Non-probability sampling was performed with exhaustive recruitment. A survey form has been used to collect data from patients’ medical records. Pearson’s chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests have been used as appropriate to determine correlations between variables. Result: A total of 310 cases of chronic gastritis were diagnosed in the histopathology section of the CHUD-B/A from 2011 to 2021. This represented a chronic gastritis frequency of 91.45% for all gastric lesions diagnosed throughout the study period. Erythematous gastropathy was the most frequent (70.35%). Helicobacter pylori was present in 36.77% and dysplasia was observed in 12.26% of cases. Erythematous gastropathy was a predictive factor for the absence of gastric dysplasia in histopathology check up (p-value = 0.042). In contrast, intestinal metaplasia was predictive of the presence of gastric dysplasia in histopathology check up (p-value < 0.001). Conclusion: Chronic gastritis is very common in our setting. Systematic biopsy performance in front of an evocative clinical situation followed by histopathological examination may be encouraged.

Hepatic Histopathological Characteristics and Antioxidant Response of Phytoplanktivorous Silver Carp Intraperitoneally Injected with Extracted Microcystins

Objective To investigate the hispathological characteristics and antioxidant responses in liver of silver carp after intraperitoneal administration of microcystins （MCs） for further understanding hepatic intoxication and antioxidation mechanism in fish. Methods Phytoplanktivorous silver carp was injected intraperitoneally （i.p.） with extracted hepatotoxic microcystins （mainly MC-RR and -LR） at a dose of 1000 μg MC-LReq./kg body weight, and liver histopathological changes and antioxidant responses were studied at 1, 3, 12, 24, and 48 h, respectively, after injection. Results The damage to liver structure and the activities of hepatic antioxidant enzymes including catalase （CAT）, superoxide dismutase （SOD）, and glutathione peroxide （GPX） were increased in a time-dependent manner. Conclusion In terms of clinical and histological signs of intoxication and LD50 （i.p.） dose of MC-LR, silver carp appears rather resistant to MCs exposure than other fishes. Also the significantly increased SOD activity in the liver of silver carp suggests a higher degree of response to MCs exposure than CAT and GPX.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and influence of age and gender on histopathologic findings

AIM:To characterize the histopathologic specifications of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH)according to age and gender.METHODS:An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in two private gastroenterology clinics on biopsy proven patients suffering from NASH.Biopsy histopathologic findings as well as demographic and laboratory data of the patients at the time of biopsy were gathered retrospectively from clinical records.The grading and staging of histopathologic findings were performed according to the Brunt method after reevaluation of the slides by a pathologist.Patients were divided into two groups according to age(belowand above 55 years).Mean quantitative grade of all pathologic findings were also calculated according to Brunt scoring values.RESULTS:A total number of 77 NASH patients,consisting of 58 males(75.3%)and 19(24.7%)females with a mean age of 41.99±11.80 years(range,18-70 years),were enrolled.The mean age(48.72±13.99 years vs 39.74±10.16 years,P=0.004)and aspartate aminotransferase level(75.11±29.68 U/L vs 52.78± 25.00 U/L,P=0.002)was significantly higher in female patients.Mean quantitative grade of hepatosteatosis was significantly higher in females(2.00±0.82 vs 1.59 ±0.68,P=0.031)compared to males.Fifty four percent(34/65)of young patients had mild hepatosteatosis (GradeⅠ)while only one patient(11.2%)in the older group had gradeⅠhepatosteatosis.Patients aged≥55 had significantly more severe hepatosteatosis(GradeⅢ) (44.4%vs 9.5%,P=0.007)and the mean quantitative grade of hepatosteatosis was significantly higher among them(2.33±0.71 vs 1.56±0.67,P=0.002).Multivariate analysis after omitting the confounding role of age revealed a higher grade of hepatosteatosis in female patients(P=0.010).CONCLUSION:These findings point toward the possible influence of age in the severity of steatohepatitis,portal and lobar inflammation in patients suffering from NASH while gender independently might contribute to the level of steatohepatitis.

Extraocular retinoblastoma in Indian children:clinical,imaging and histopathological features

AIMTo study eyes with extraocular dissemination (EORB), with the following aims: first to establish the mean lag period and to understand various reasons for delayed presentation, second to study their imaging profiles and third to analyze histopathological features of eyes enucleated after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Toxicity Evaluation of in vitro Cultures of Freshwater Cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa:Ⅰ.Hepatotoxic and Histopathological Effects in Rats

Laboratory cultures of freshwater cyanobacterium (blue-green alga) Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 7806 was cvaluated for its hepatotoxic effects in rats. The lyophilized cell extract injected intraperitoneally at 1 and 2 LD50 (15.8 and 31.6 mg/kg, respectively) produced significant increase in liver-specific enzymes viz. plasma alkaline phosphatase,γ-glutamyl transferase, lactate dehydrogenase with a concomitant decrease in hepatic glutamic pyruvic transaminase. A corresponding increase in liver body weight index and histopathological changes in liver (degeneration of hepatocytes, congestion and hemorrhage etc.) are indicative of a dose and time dependent hepatotoxic nature of the algal extract

Nuclear atypia grading in breast cancer histopathological images based on CNN feature extraction and LSTM classification

Early diagnosis of breast cancer,the most common disease among women around the world,increases the chance of treatment and is highly important.Nuclear atypia grading in histopathological images plays an important role in the final diagnosis and grading ofbreast cancer.Grading images by pathologists is a time consuming and subjective task.Therefore,the existence of a computer-aided system for nuclear atypia grading is very useful and necessary;In this stud%two automatic systems for grading nuclear atypia in breast cancer histopathological images based on deep learning methods are proposed.A patch-based approach is introduced due to the large size of the histopathological images and restriction of the training data.In the proposed system I,the most important patches in the image are detected first and then a three-hidden-layer convolutional neural network(CNN)is designed and trained for feature extraction and to classify the patches individually.The proposed system II is based on a combination of the CNN for feature extraction and a two-layer Long short-term memoty(LSTM)network for classification.The LSTM network is utilised to consider all patches of an image simultaneously for image grading.The simulation results show the efficiency of the proposed systems for automatic nuclear atypia grading and outperform the current related studies in the literature.

Dimethoate Induced Oxidative Damage and Histopathological Changes in lung of Adult rats:Modulatory Effects of Selenium and/or Vitamin E

Objective To determine the efficiency of selenium and/or vitamin E to alleviate lung oxidative damage induced by dimethoate, an organophosphorus compound. Methods Adult Wistar rats were exposed during 30 days either to dimethoate （0.2 g/L of drinking water）, dimethoate＋selenium （0.5 mg/kg of diet）, dimethoate＋vitamin E （100 mg/kg of diet）, or dimethoate＋selenium＋vitamin E. Results Exposure to dimethoate caused oxidative stress in lung evidenced by an increase of malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl groups and advanced oxidation protein products. An increase in glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase and a decrease in acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activities, glutathione, non-protein thiols and vitamins C levels were observed. Histopathological changes in lung tissue were noted as emphysema, hemorrhages and hemosiderin deposits. Co-administration of selenium or vitamin E to the diet of dimethoate treated rats ameliorated the biochemical parameters as well as histological impairments. The joint effect of these elements was more powerful in antagonizing dimethoate-induced lung oxidative damage. Conclusion We concluded that selenium and vitamin E ameliorated the toxic effects of this pesticide in lung tissue suggesting their role as potential antioxidants.

Histopathological characteristics of needle core biopsy and surgical specimens from patients with solitary hepatocellular carcinoma or intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND Pathological manifestations of hepatic tumours are often associated with prognosis. Although surgical specimens(SS) can provide more information,currently, pre-treatment needle core biopsy(NCB) is increasingly showing important value in understanding the nature of liver tumors and even in diagnosis and treatment decisions. However, the concordance of the clinicopathological characteristics and immunohistochemical(IHC) staining between NCB and SS from patients with hepatic tumours were less concerned.AIM To introduce a more accurate method for interpreting the IHC staining results in order to improve the diagnostic value of hepatic malignancy in NCB samples.METHOD A total of 208 patients who underwent both preoperative NCB and surgical resection for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) or intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomaRESULTS Morphologically, the presence of compact tumour nests or a cord-like structure in NCB was considered the primary cause of misdiagnosis of HCC from ICC. The kappa statistic showed a moderate agreement in histomorphology(k = 0.504) and histological grade(k = 0.488) between NCB and SS of the tumours. A 4-tier(+++,++, +, and-) scoring scheme that emphasized the focal neoplastic cell immunoreactivity of tumour cells revealed perfect concordance of CK19, GPC3 and HepPar1 between NCB and SS(k = 0.717; k = 0.768; k = 0.633). Furthermore,with the aid of a binary classification derived from the 4-tier score, a high concordance was achieved in interpreting the IHC staining of the three markers between NCB and final SS(k = 0.931; k = 0.907; k = 0.803), increasing the accuracy of NCB diagnosis C(k = 0.987; area under the curve = 0.997, 95%CI: 0.990-1.000; P< 0.001).CONCLUSION These findings imply that reasonable interpretation of IHC results in NCB is vital for improving the accuracy of tumour diagnosis. The simplified binary classification provides an easy and applicable approach.

Histopathological changes in retinas and F-ERG features of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats treated with ozone

AIM： To study the histopathological changes in the retina and flash electroretinogram （F-ERG） features of ozone-treated streptozotocin （STZ）-induced diabetic rats. METHODS： Seventy male Sprague Dawley rats were grouped as follows： blank group （GB, n=10）, model control group （GM, n=18）, ozone group （GOs, n=19）, and oxygen group （GO2, n=18）. The model was induced by single intraperitoneal injection of STZ. Ozone or oxygen enteroclysm was given twice per week for 4wk. F-ERG and histopathological examinations were performed one month after treatment. RESULTS： Under dark adaption, as compared to GB, the other groups each had differential decreases in the a-wave amplitudes （P〈0.05）; the latencies were delayed in GM, GO2, and GO3 rats （P〈0.05）. Similar results were observed under light adaption, with the exception that the a-wave of the amplitudes （F=0.28, P〉0.05）. There were significant differences in the apoptosis index among the groups （P〈0.05）. Under ozone treatment, apoptosis was decreased in GO3 as compared to GM and GO2 . CONCLUSION： Ozone administration alleviates nerve damage and reduces pathology and apoptosis in the retinas of diabetic rats.

Detection of Promoter Hypermethylation of GSTP1 and CDH1 Genes and the Relationship of Histopathological Parameters of the Breast

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Histopathology plays an important part in determining the treatment strategy for women with breast cancer. GSTP1 plays an important role in protecting cells from cytotoxic and carcinogenic agents and it is expressed in normal tissues at variable levels in different cell types. CDH1 plays a critical role for establishment and maintenance of polarity and differentiation of epithelium during the development period. Also, it plays an important role in signal transduction, differentiation, gene expression, cellmotility and inflammations. Methods: In this study the promoter methylation levels of GSTP1 and CDH1 gene which are associated with breast cancer were investigated by technique of Methylation Sensitive High Resolution Melting Analysis (MS-HRM). We analysed primary tumor core biopsies from 80 high-risk primary breast cancer patients (tumors ≥ 2 cm and/or lymphatic metastase and/or distant metastases and/or under 40 years). Also the patients’ histopathologic types were associated with the methylation levels. Results: In our study the promoter hypermethylation status was observed at different rates;GSTP1 and CDH1 hypermethylation frequencies were 82% and 95% respectively. The promoter hypermethylation levels of the genes were found to be significant with lymph node positivity, ER positivity and HER2/neu negativity. Conclusion: Our study is important as being the first study that analyzes association between histopathologic type and GSTP1 and CDH1 gene promotor methylation status in Turkish population.

A NEWLY RECOGNIZED PRECANCEROUS LESION OF THE STOMACH (HISTOPATHOLOGIC FEATURES OF GLOBOID DYSPLASIA OF HUMAN GASTRIC EPITHELIUM)

The histopathological features of the globoid dysplasia of the human gastric epithelium were described in detail and in series by means of observation of serial sections of 61 cases with globoid dys-plasias. Three grades were divided according to the architectural and cellular atypia of the globoid dys-plasias. The penetration of outer layer globoid dys-plastic cells through the basement membrane of 'the structure of double layers' appeared in typical globoid dysplasia grade II and the infiltration of the globoid dysplastic cells into stroma as well as the formation of incipient focus of signet ring cell carcinoma were described. The twinkling scene of the infiltration of the globoid dysplastic cells into lamina propria through the basement membrane, and the destroying of the basement membrane by the globoid dysplastic cells were shown by means of Gordon Sweet's staining. Through the analysis as for the distribution characteristics of ages and sexes in 61 globoid dysplasia cases and 51 signet ring cell carcinomas, a fact was discovered that the mobility of female cases was ten years prior to that of male ones in average. A conclusion could be made that the globoid dysplasia might be an important precan-cerous lesion of the signet ring cell carcinoma of the stomach.

Convolutional Neural Network for Histopathological Osteosarcoma Image Classification

Osteosarcoma is one of the most widespread causes of bone cancer globally and has a high mortality rate.Early diagnosis may increase the chances of treatment and survival however the process is time-consuming(reliability and complexity involved to extract the hand-crafted features)and largely depends on pathologists’experience.Convolutional Neural Network(CNN—an end-to-end model)is known to be an alternative to overcome the aforesaid problems.Therefore,this work proposes a compact CNN architecture that has been rigorously explored on a Small Osteosarcoma histology Image Dataaseet(a high-class imbalanced dataset).Though,during training,class-imbalanced data can negatively affect the performance of CNN.Therefore,an oversampling technique has been proposed to overcome the aforesaid issue and improve generalization performance.In this process,a hierarchical CNN model is designed,in which the former model is non-regularized(due to dense architecture)and the later one is regularized,specifically designed for small histopathology images.Moreover,the regularized model is integrated with CNN’s basic architecture to reduce overfitting.Experimental results demonstrate that oversampling might be an effective way to address the imbalanced class problem during training.The training and testing accuracies of the non-regularized CNN model are 98%&78%with an imbalanced dataset and 96%&81%with a balanced dataset,respectively.The regularized CNN model training and testing accuracies are 84%&75%for an imbalanced dataset and 87%&86%for a balanced dataset.

Effects of Nickel Chloride on Histopathological Lesions and Oxidative Damage in the Thymus

The purpose of this study was to observe the histopathological lesions and oxidative damage induced by dietary nickel chloride (NiCl2) in the thymus. A total of 280 one-day-old avian broilers were divided into four groups and fed on a corn-soybean basal diet as the control diet or the same basal diet supplemented with 300, 600, and 900 mg/kg of NiCl2 for 42 days. In the NiCl2-treated groups, the broiler weight and thymic relative weight were significantly (P P < 0.01) decreased. Histopathologically, thymic corpuscles were increased and enlarged;the reticular cells were degenerate and necrotic, and lymphocytes were slightly decreased and loosely arranged in the medulla of thymus in the 600 mg/kg and 900 mg/kg groups. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and the ability to inhibit hydroxy radical and glutathione (GSH) content were significantly (P P < 0.01) lower in the NiCl2-treated groups than those in the control group, while MDA content was higher. The above-mentioned results demonstrated that dietary NiCl2 in excess of 300 mg/kg could reduce the broiler weight and thymic relative weight, and cause histopathological lesions and oxidative damage in the thymus, which finally impaired the thymic function.