Improved Breath Phase and Continuous Adventitious Sound Detection in Lung and Tracheal Sound Using Mixed Set Training and Domain Adaptation

Previously, we established a lung sound database, HF_Lung_V2 and proposed convolutional bidirectional gated recurrent unit (CNN-BiGRU) models with adequate ability for inhalation, exhalation, continuous adventitious sound (CAS), and discontinuous adventitious sound detection in the lung sound. In this study, we proceeded to build a tracheal sound database, HF_Tracheal_V1, containing 11107 of 15-second tracheal sound recordings, 23087 inhalation labels, 16728 exhalation labels, and 6874 CAS labels. The tracheal sound in HF_Tracheal_V1 and the lung sound in HF_Lung_V2 were either combined or used alone to train the CNN-BiGRU models for respective lung and tracheal sound analysis. Different training strategies were investigated and compared: (1) using full training (training from scratch) to train the lung sound models using lung sound alone and train the tracheal sound models using tracheal sound alone, (2) using a mixed set that contains both the lung and tracheal sound to train the models, and (3) using domain adaptation that finetuned the pre-trained lung sound models with the tracheal sound data and vice versa. Results showed that the models trained only by lung sound performed poorly in the tracheal sound analysis and vice versa. However, the mixed set training and domain adaptation can improve the performance of exhalation and CAS detection in the lung sound, and inhalation, exhalation, and CAS detection in the tracheal sound compared to positive controls (lung models trained only by lung sound and vice versa). Especially, a model derived from the mixed set training prevails in the situation of killing two birds with one stone.Comment: To be submitted, 31 pages, 6 figures, 5 table

Benchmarking of eight recurrent neural network variants for breath phase and adventitious sound detection on a self-developed open-access lung sound database-HF_Lung_V1

A reliable, remote, and continuous real-time respiratory sound monitor with automated respiratory sound analysis ability is urgently required in many clinical scenarios-such as in monitoring disease progression of coronavirus disease 2019-to replace conventional auscultation with a handheld stethoscope. However, a robust computerized respiratory sound analysis algorithm has not yet been validated in practical applications. In this study, we developed a lung sound database (HF_Lung_V1) comprising 9,765 audio files of lung sounds (duration of 15 s each), 34,095 inhalation labels, 18,349 exhalation labels, 13,883 continuous adventitious sound (CAS) labels (comprising 8,457 wheeze labels, 686 stridor labels, and 4,740 rhonchi labels), and 15,606 discontinuous adventitious sound labels (all crackles). We conducted benchmark tests for long short-term memory (LSTM), gated recurrent unit (GRU), bidirectional LSTM (BiLSTM), bidirectional GRU (BiGRU), convolutional neural network (CNN)-LSTM, CNN-GRU, CNN-BiLSTM, and CNN-BiGRU models for breath phase detection and adventitious sound detection. We also conducted a performance comparison between the LSTM-based and GRU-based models, between unidirectional and bidirectional models, and between models with and without a CNN. The results revealed that these models exhibited adequate performance in lung sound analysis. The GRU-based models outperformed, in terms of F1 scores and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves, the LSTM-based models in most of the defined tasks. Furthermore, all bidirectional models outperformed their unidirectional counterparts. Finally, the addition of a CNN improved the accuracy of lung sound analysis, especially in the CAS detection tasks.Comment: 48 pages, 8 figures. To be submitte

An Indo-Pacifc coral spawning database

The discovery of multi-species synchronous spawning of scleractinian corals on the Great Barrier Reef in the 1980s stimulated an extraordinary effort to document spawning times in other parts of the globe. Unfortunately, most of these data remain unpublished which limits our understanding of regional and global reproductive patterns. The Coral Spawning Database (CSD) collates much of these disparate data into a single place. The CSD includes 6178 observations (3085 of which were unpublished) of the time or day of spawning for over 300 scleractinian species in 61 genera from 101 sites in the Indo-Pacific. The goal of the CSD is to provide open access to coral spawning data to accelerate our understanding of coral reproductive biology and to provide a baseline against which to evaluate any future changes in reproductive phenology

MET and AKT Genetic Influence on Facial Emotion Perception

Background: Facial emotion perception is a major social skill, but its molecular signal pathway remains unclear. The MET/ AKT cascade affects neurodevelopment in general populations and face recognition in patients with autism. This study explores the possible role of MET/AKT cascade in facial emotion perception. Methods: One hundred and eighty two unrelated healthy volunteers (82 men and 100 women) were recruited. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of MET (rs2237717, rs41735, rs42336, and rs1858830) and AKT rs1130233 were genotyped and tested for their effects on facial emotion perception. Facial emotion perception was assessed by the face task of Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). Thorough neurocognitive functions were also assessed. Results: Regarding MET rs2237717, individuals with the CT genotype performed better in facial emotion perception than those with TT (p = 0.016 by ANOVA, 0.018 by general linear regression model [GLM] to control for age, gender, and education duration), and showed no difference with those with CC. Carriers with the most common MET CGA haplotype (frequency = 50.5%) performed better than non-carriers of CGA in facial emotion perception (p = 0.018, df = 1, F = 5.69, p = 0.009 by GLM). In MET rs2237717/AKT rs1130233 interaction, the C carrier/G carrier group showed better facial emotion perception than those with the TT/AA genotype (p = 0.035 by ANOVA, 0.015 by GLM), even when neurocognitive functions were controlled (p = 0.046 by GLM)

Re-Examination of the Phylogenetic Relationship among Merulinidae Subclades in Non-Reefal Coral Communities of Northeastern Taiwan

Species identification for spawning corals relies heavily on morphology. Recent molecular phylogenetic approaches have demonstrated the limits of traditional coral taxonomy based solely on skeletal morphology. Merulinidae is considered a complex taxonomic group, containing 24 genera and 149 species. This family is one of the most taxonomically challenging and its taxonomy has largely improved in recent studies. However, studies of the phylogeny of Merulinidae are constrained by limited geographic scales. In Taiwan, merulinid corals are dominant in non-reefal communities on northeast coasts and they consistently spawn between summer and fall. This study is a first attempt to establish a molecular database of merulinid corals in this new area, including a volcanic island (Kueishan Island), and provide information about sexual reproduction. We analyzed 65 specimens, including 9 genera and 28 species collected from Taiwan using one mitochondrial marker (COI: cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene) and three nuclear markers (ITS: nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer, 28S rDNA D1 and D2, and histone H3) to re-examine phylogenetic relationships and search for new species. Overall, 58 COI sequences, 59 for ITS, 63 for 28S, and 62 histone sequences were newly obtained from the collected specimens. The reconstructed molecular tree demonstrates that all the specimens and reference sequences we examined are clustered within Merulinidae. Subclades A, B, C, D/E, F, G, H, and I are congruent with previous studies. However, Astrea curta is separated from the other congeneric species, Astrea annuligera (XVII-B), which is a sister to Favites and defined as a new subclade K. In addition, two new species (Paragoniastrea deformis and Paragoniastrea australensis) were discovered for the first time in Taiwan, and we defined them as a new subclade J. In addition, A. curta, P. auastralensis, and P. deformis are all hermaphroditic spawners and released bundles in July. This study greatly improves the accuracy of biodiversity estimates, systematic taxonomy, and reproduction for Taiwan’s coral ecosystem

Gold Nanotheranostics: Photothermal Therapy and Imaging of Mucin 7 Conjugated Antibody Nanoparticles for Urothelial Cancer

Objective. To kill urothelial cancer cells while preserving healthy cells, this study used photothermal therapy (PTT). PTT techniques target urothelial cancer cells using gold nanoparticles (GNPs) and a green light laser. Materials and Methods. The GNPs were conjugated with anti-Mucin 7 antibodies, which acted as a probe for targeting tumor cells. Conjugated GNPs were exposed to a green light laser (532 nm) with sufficient thermal energy to kill the transitional cell carcinomas (TCCs). Results. According to our results, nanoparticles conjugated with Mucin 7 antibodies damaged all types of cancer cells (MBT2, T24, 9202, and 8301) at relatively low energy levels (i.e., 500 laser shots at 10 W/cm2 in power, 1.6 Hz in frequency, and 300 ms in duration). Nonconjugated nanoparticles required 30 W/cm2 or more to achieve the same effect. Cell damage was directly related to irradiation time and applied laser energy. Conclusions. The minimally invasive PTT procedure combined with Mucin 7 targeted GNPs is able to kill cancer cells and preserve healthy cells. The success of this treatment technique can likely be attributed to the lower amount of energy required to kill targeted cancer cells compared with that required to kill nontargeted cancer cells. Our in vitro pilot study yielded promising results; however, additional animal studies are required to confirm these findings

Re-Examination of the Phylogenetic Relationship among Merulinidae Subclades in Non-Reefal Coral Communities of Northeastern Taiwan

Species identification for spawning corals relies heavily on morphology. Recent molecular phylogenetic approaches have demonstrated the limits of traditional coral taxonomy based solely on skeletal morphology. Merulinidae is considered a complex taxonomic group, containing 24 genera and 149 species. This family is one of the most taxonomically challenging and its taxonomy has largely improved in recent studies. However, studies of the phylogeny of Merulinidae are constrained by limited geographic scales. In Taiwan, merulinid corals are dominant in non-reefal communities on northeast coasts and they consistently spawn between summer and fall. This study is a first attempt to establish a molecular database of merulinid corals in this new area, including a volcanic island (Kueishan Island), and provide information about sexual reproduction. We analyzed 65 specimens, including 9 genera and 28 species collected from Taiwan using one mitochondrial marker (COI: cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene) and three nuclear markers (ITS: nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer, 28S rDNA D1 and D2, and histone H3) to re-examine phylogenetic relationships and search for new species. Overall, 58 COI sequences, 59 for ITS, 63 for 28S, and 62 histone sequences were newly obtained from the collected specimens. The reconstructed molecular tree demonstrates that all the specimens and reference sequences we examined are clustered within Merulinidae. Subclades A, B, C, D/E, F, G, H, and I are congruent with previous studies. However, Astrea curta is separated from the other congeneric species, Astrea annuligera (XVII-B), which is a sister to Favites and defined as a new subclade K. In addition, two new species (Paragoniastrea deformis and Paragoniastrea australensis) were discovered for the first time in Taiwan, and we defined them as a new subclade J. In addition, A. curta, P. auastralensis, and P. deformis are all hermaphroditic spawners and released bundles in July. This study greatly improves the accuracy of biodiversity estimates, systematic taxonomy, and reproduction for Taiwan’s coral ecosystem

Impact of Scaling and Periodontal Treatment during Pregnancy on the Risk of Adverse Birth Outcomes

Background: Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) are associated with periodontal disease owing to the induction of a chronic systemic inflammatory response. Hence, knowledge of periodontal status during pregnancy is important in order to reduce the risk of APOs. The aim of this study was to compare the risk of APOs in women with and without periodontal disease to ascertain whether regular scaling performed prior to pregnancy improves the risk of APOs. Method: This case-control study enrolled1,386,887 pregnant women from the National Health Insurance Research Database who gave birth to their first child between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2014. The study population included mothers who gave birth to low birth weight (LBW) and non-LBW newborns, totaling 86,958 and 1,299,929, respectively. Scaling and periodontal emergency treatment during and before pregnancy were assessed. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the associations between periodontal treatment and LBW risk. Results: Compared with the comparison cohort, the pregnant women who didnot have periodontal emergency treatment or scaling treatment during pregnancy exhibited a significantly increased risk of LBW than those who had treatment. Women who underwent scaling within the2 years before pregnancy or during pregnancy had a lower risk of delivering a LBW baby (odds ratio (OR), 0.93; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.91–0.94). In the normal group, the mothers who had periodontal emergency treatment within the2 years before pregnancy or during pregnancy had a higher risk of delivering a LBW baby (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02–1.08). In those who had scaling treatment, a lower risk of delivering a LBW baby was noted (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.93–0.97). Conclusion: The risk of LBW was significantly increased in women who underwent periodontal treatment, and our findings suggested that periodontal disease is an important risk factor for preterm LBW babies in an East Asian population