Glaucomatous Patterns in Frequency Doubling Technology (FDT) Perimetry Data Identified by Unsupervised Machine Learning Classifiers

Purpose: The variational Bayesian independent component analysis-mixture model (VIM), an unsupervised machine-learning classifier, was used to automatically separate Matrix Frequency Doubling Technology (FDT) perimetry data into clusters of healthy and glaucomatous eyes, and to identify axes representing statistically independent patterns of defect in the glaucoma clusters. Methods: FDT measurements were obtained from 1,190 eyes with normal FDT results and 786 eyes with abnormal FDT results from the UCSD-based Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study (DIGS) and African Descent and Glaucoma Evaluation Study (ADAGES). For all eyes, VIM input was 52 threshold test points from the 24-2 test pattern, plus age. Results: FDT mean deviation was -1.00 dB (S.D. = 2.80 dB) and -5.57 dB (S.D. = 5.09 dB) in FDT-normal eyes and FDT-abnormal eyes, respectively (p<0.001). VIM identified meaningful clusters of FDT data and positioned a set of statistically independent axes through the mean of each cluster. The optimal VIM model separated the FDT fields into 3 clusters. Cluster N contained primarily normal fields (1109/1190, specificity 93.1%) and clusters G(1) and G(2) combined, contained primarily abnormal fields (651/786, sensitivity 82.8%). For clusters G(1) and G(2) the optimal number of axes were 2 and 5, respectively. Patterns automatically generated along axes within the glaucoma clusters were similar to those known to be indicative of glaucoma. Fields located farther from the normal mean on each glaucoma axis showed increasing field defect severity. Conclusions: VIM successfully separated FDT fields from healthy and glaucoma eyes without a priori information about class membership, and identified familiar glaucomatous patterns of loss.open0

\u3ci\u3eAspergillus\u3c/i\u3e and aflatoxin in groundnut (\u3ci\u3eArachis hypogaea\u3c/i\u3e L.) and groundnut cake in Eastern Ethiopia

This study was conducted to assess major Aspergillus species and aflatoxins associated with groundnut seeds and cake in Eastern Ethiopia and evaluate growers’ management practices. A total of 160 groundnut seed samples from farmers’ stores and 50 groundnut cake samples from cafe and restaurants were collected. Fungal isolation was done from groundnut seed samples. Aspergillus flavus was the dominant species followed by Aspergillus parasiticus. Aflatoxin analyses of groundnut seed samples were performed using ultra performance liquid chromatography; 22.5% and 41.3% of samples were positive, with total aflatoxin concentrations of 786 and 3135 ng g−1 from 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 samples, respectively. The level of specific aflatoxin concentration varied between 0.1 and 2526 ng g−1 for B2 and B1, respectively. Among contaminated samples of groundnut cake, 68% exhibited aflatoxin concentration below 20 ng g−1, while as high as 158 ng g−1 aflatoxin B1 was recorded. The study confirms high contamination of groundnut products in East Ethiopia

Constituents and antiproliferative activity of extracts from leaves of Croton macrobothrys

Croton macrobothrys Baill, Euphorbiaceae, is a tree from the Atlantic Forest in Southern Brazil, used in traditional medicine and popularly known as "dragon's blood" and "pau-sangue". Leaf n-hexane, dichloromethane and methanol extracts were analyzed by GC/MS and evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative activity on cell lines 786-0 (kidney), HT-29 (colon), K562 (leukemia), NCI-ADR/RES (drug resistant ovary), NCI-H460 (lung), MCF-7 (mammary), PC-3 (prostate), OVCAR-3 (ovary), U251 (glioma) and UACC-62 (melanoma). The dicloromethane extract exhibited activity against all cell lines at the concentration 25 µg/mL, in particular on cell lines NCI-H460 (GI50 0.33 μg/mL) and K5662 (GI50 0.91 μg/mL). Relevant constituents in dichloromethane extract are the alkaloids corydine and salutaridine, as well as the diterpenes geranylgeraniol and crotonin-derived clerodanes

Constituents and antiproliferative activity of extracts from leaves of Croton macrobothrys

Croton macrobothrys Baill, Euphorbiaceae, is a tree from the Atlantic Forest in Southern Brazil, used in traditional medicine and popularly known as "dragon's blood" and "pau-sangue". Leaf n-hexane, dichloromethane and methanol extracts were analyzed by GC/MS and evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative activity on cell lines 786-0 (kidney), HT-29 (colon), K562 (leukemia), NCI-ADR/RES (drug resistant ovary), NCI-H460 (lung), MCF-7 (mammary), PC-3 (prostate), OVCAR-3 (ovary), U251 (glioma) and UACC-62 (melanoma). The dicloromethane extract exhibited activity against all cell lines at the concentration 25 µg/mL, in particular on cell lines NCI-H460 (GI50 0.33 μg/mL) and K5662 (GI50 0.91 μg/mL). Relevant constituents in dichloromethane extract are the alkaloids corydine and salutaridine, as well as the diterpenes geranylgeraniol and crotonin-derived clerodanes.21697297

On bipartite sum basic equilibria

A connected and undirected graph G of size n≥1 is said to be a sum basic equilibrium iff for every edge uv from G and any node v′ from G, when performing the swap of the edge uv for the edge uv′ the sum of the distances from u to all the other nodes is not strictly reduced. This concept comes from the so called Network Creation Games, a wide subject inside Algorithmic Game Theory that tries to better understand how Internet-like networks behave. It has been shown that the diameter of sum basic equilibria is 2O(logn√) in general and at most 2 for trees. In this paper we see that the upper bound of 2 not only holds for trees but for bipartite graphs, too. Specifically, we show that the only bipartite sum basic equilibrium networks are the complete bipartite graphs Kr,s with r,s≥1 .This work has been partially supported by funds from the Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) and the European Union (FEDER funds) under grant GRAMM (TIN2017-86727-C2-1-R) and from the Catalan Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR, Generalitat de Catalunya) under project ALBCOM 2017-SGR-786.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Evaluation of prognostic significance of gnβ3:825, nos3:786 and nos3:894 polymorphisms in patients with metabolic syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for acute coronary syndrome without persistent st-segment elevation

Обследовано 150 пациентов с ишемической болезнью сердца и метаболическим синдромом (МС) с целью оценки прогностической значимости полиморфизма генов GNβ3:825, NOS3:786 и NOS3:894 в возникновении острого коронарного синдрома без элевации сегмента ST (ОКС без ST) на фоне МС и дальнейшего сердечно-сосудистого прогноза после чрескожного коронарного вмешательства (ЧКВ). Получены результаты, свидетельствующие о большей распространенности ОКС без ST на фоне МС у пациентов с полиморфизмом Т/Т и С/Т гена GNβ3:825 и полиморфизмом С/С гена NOS3:786. G-гомозиготный полиморфизм NOS:894 может рассматриваться как достоверно протективный фактор по поводу возникновения ОКС без ST при МС. У паци- ентов с Т/Т-полиморфизмом гена GNβ3:825 достоверно чаще после ЧКВ по поводу ОКС без ST на фоне МС имела место «кумулятивная точка нежелательных событий» (кардиоваскулярная смерть, повторный случай ГКС, повторная реваскуляризация, рестеноз/ретромбоз стента, госпитализация по поводу декомпенсации сердечной недостаточности).T/T and C/T polymorphism gene GNβ3:825 and C/C gene polymorphism NOS3:786 requires personalized approach as for the timing and aggression of the primary prevention, correction of modifying factors and drug therapy. T/T polymorphism GNβ3:825 in patients with MS after PCI for ACS without ST needs more attentive tactics from medical staff in stage of inpatient and outpatient treatment

Single and Combined Effects of Beetroot Crystals and Sodium Bicarbonate on 4-km Cycling Time Trial Performance

When ingested alone, beetroot juice and sodium bicarbonate are ergogenic for high-intensity exercise performance. This study sought to determine the independent and combined effects of these supplements. Eight endurance trained (VO2max 65 mL·kg·min-1) male cyclists completed four × 4-km time trials (TT) in a doubleblind Latin square design supplementing with beetroot crystals (BC) for 3 days (15 g·day-1 + 15 g 1 h before TT, containing 300 mg nitrate per 15 g), bicarbonate (Bi 0.3 g·kg-1 body mass [BM] in 5 doses every 15 min from 2.5 h before TT); BC+Bi or placebo (PLA). Subjects completed TTs on a Velotron cycle ergometer under standardized laboratory conditions. Plasma nitrite concentrations were significantly elevated only in the BC+Bi trial before the TT (1520 ± 786 nmol·L-1) compared with baseline (665 ± 535 nmol·L-1, p = .02) and the Bi and PLA conditions (Bi: 593 ± 203 nmol·L-1, p .05). Blood bicarbonate concentrations were increased in the BC+Bi and Bi trials before the TT (BC+Bi: 30.9 ± 2.8 mmol·L-1; Bi: 31.7 ± 1.1 mmol·L-1). There were no differences in mean power output (386–394 W) or the time taken to complete the TT (335.8–338.1 s) between any conditions. Under the conditions of this study, supplementation was not ergogenic for 4-km TT performance

miR-786 Regulation of a Fatty-Acid Elongase Contributes to Rhythmic Calcium-Wave Initiation in \u3cem\u3eC. elegans\u3c/em\u3e

Background: Rhythmic behaviors are ubiquitous phenomena in animals. In C. elegans, defecation is an ultradian rhythmic behavior: every ∼50 s a calcium wave initiating in the posterior intestinal cells triggers the defecation motor program that comprises three sequential muscle contractions. Oscillatory calcium signaling is central to the periodicity of defecation. The posteriormost intestinal cells function as the pacemaker for this rhythmic behavior, although it is unclear how the supremacy of these cells for calcium-wave initiation is controlled. Results: We describe how the loss of the mir-240/786 microRNA cluster, which results in arrhythmic defecation, causes ectopic intestinal calcium-wave initiation. mir-240/786 expression in the intestine is restricted to the posterior cells that function as the defecation pacemaker. Genetic data indicate that mir-240/786 functions upstream of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor. Through rescue analysis, it was determined that miR-786 functions to regulate defecation. Furthermore, we identified elo-2, a fatty-acid elongase with a known role in defecation cycling, as a direct target for miR-786. We propose that the regulation of palmitate levels through repression of elo-2 activity is the likely mechanistic link to defecation. Conclusions: Together, these data indicate that miR-786 confers pacemaker status on posterior intestinal cells for the control of calcium-wave initiation through the regulation of elo-2 and, subsequently, palmitate levels. We propose that a difference in fatty-acid composition in the posterior intestinal cells may alter the activities of membrane proteins, such as IP3-receptor or TRPM channels, that control pacemaker activity in the C. elegans intestine

The X-ray binary population in M33: II. X-ray spectra and variability

In this paper we investigate the X-ray spectra and X-ray spectral variability of compact X-ray sources for 3 Chandra observations of the Local Group galaxy M33. The observations are centered on the nucleus and the star forming region NGC 604. In the observations 261 sources have been detected. For a total of 43 sources the number of net counts is above 100, sufficient for a more detailed spectral fitting. Of these sources, 25 have been observed in more than one observation, allowing the study of spectral variability on ~months timescales. A quarter of the sources are found to be variable between observations. However, except for two foreground sources, no source is variable within any observation above the 99% confidence level. Only six sources show significant spectral variability between observations. A comparison of N_H values with HI observations shows that X-ray absorption values are consistent with Galactic X-ray binaries and most sources in M33 are intrinsically absorbed. The pattern of variability and the spectral parameters of these sources are consistent with the M33 X-ray source population being dominated by X-ray binaries: Two thirds of the 43 bright sources have spectral and timing properties consistent with X-ray binaries; we also find two candidates for super-soft sources and two candidates for quasi-soft sources.Comment: 25 pages, ApJ accepte