Self-paced Convolutional Neural Network for Computer Aided Detection in Medical Imaging Analysis

Tissue characterization has long been an important component of Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) systems for automatic lesion detection and further clinical planning. Motivated by the superior performance of deep learning methods on various computer vision problems, there has been increasing work applying deep learning to medical image analysis. However, the development of a robust and reliable deep learning model for computer-aided diagnosis is still highly challenging due to the combination of the high heterogeneity in the medical images and the relative lack of training samples. Specifically, annotation and labeling of the medical images is much more expensive and time-consuming than other applications and often involves manual labor from multiple domain experts. In this work, we propose a multi-stage, self-paced learning framework utilizing a convolutional neural network (CNN) to classify Computed Tomography (CT) image patches. The key contribution of this approach is that we augment the size of training samples by refining the unlabeled instances with a self-paced learning CNN. By implementing the framework on high performance computing servers including the NVIDIA DGX1 machine, we obtained the experimental result, showing that the self-pace boosted network consistently outperformed the original network even with very scarce manual labels. The performance gain indicates that applications with limited training samples such as medical image analysis can benefit from using the proposed framework.Comment: accepted by 8th International Workshop on Machine Learning in Medical Imaging (MLMI 2017

Strain Sensitive Coax Cable Sensors for Monitoring Structures

The invention provides increased structural monitoring systems that have sensitive continuous coaxial cable sensors. A preferred embodiment sensor cable of the invention includes an inner conductor, a dielectric jacket, and an outer conductor that is configured to passively deform responsively to strain in an associated structure. The deformation can be aided by the physical structure of the dielectric jacket, the outer conductor, or a combination of both. The deformation translates strain into a measurable change in a reflection coefficient associated with the outer conductor

Young Women’s Knowledge About Fertility and Their Fertility Health Risk Factors

Objective To explore the relationships among young women’s demographic characteristics, their self-perceived and actual knowledge about fertility, and their fertility health risk factors. Design A quantitative, cross-sectional study. Setting Online survey. Participants Young women between the ages of 18 and 24 years (N = 342). Methods We used an online survey to collect data from young women regarding their demographic characteristics, their self-perceived and actual knowledge about fertility, and their fertility health risk factors. We used multiple linear regression to explore the relationships among these factors. Results Participants were mainly White, had some form of college education, and used a variety of contraception methods. Regression modeling indicated that participants’ self-perceived knowledge and actual knowledge about fertility and their methods of contraception were significantly associated with their fertility health risks (R2 = .13, p \u3c .001). Participants who had higher actual scores of knowledge about fertility and who used fertility awareness methods had fewer self-reported fertility health risk factors. A greater level of self-perceived knowledge about fertility was associated with more fertility health risk factors. Age, education level, and pregnancy history were not significantly associated with fertility health risks. Conclusion Our findings provide evidence that knowledge about fertility is important to enhance fertility self-care for young women. The significant relationship between young women’s knowledge about fertility and their fertility health risks highlights the need to assess their knowledge and teach them about fertility as important components of preconception care. Such education may help them avoid fertility health risks and protect young women’s current and future fertility

Sex‐specific activation of SK current by isoproterenol facilitates action potential triangulation and arrhythmogenesis in rabbit ventricles

Sex has a large influence on cardiac electrophysiological properties. Whether sex differences exist in apamin‐sensitive small conductance Ca2+‐activated K+ (SK) current (IKAS) remains unknown. We performed optical mapping, transmembrane potential, patch clamp, western blot and immunostaining in 62 normal rabbit ventricles, including 32 females and 30 males. IKAS blockade by apamin only minimally prolonged action potential (AP) duration (APD) in the basal condition for both sexes, but significantly prolonged APD in the presence of isoproterenol in females. Apamin prolonged APD at the level of 25% repolarization (APD25) more prominently than APD at the level of 80% repolarization (APD80), consequently reversing isoproterenol‐induced AP triangulation in females. In comparison, apamin prolonged APD to a significantly lesser extent in males and failed to restore the AP plateau during isoproterenol infusion. IKAS in males did not respond to the L‐type calcium current agonist BayK8644, but was amplified by the casein kinase 2 (CK2) inhibitor 4,5,6,7‐tetrabromobenzotriazole. In addition, whole‐cell outward IKAS densities in ventricular cardiomyocytes were significantly larger in females than in males. SK channel subtype 2 (SK2) protein expression was higher and the CK2/SK2 ratio was lower in females than in males. IKAS activation in females induced negative intracellular Ca2+–voltage coupling, promoted electromechanically discordant phase 2 repolarization alternans and facilitated ventricular fibrillation (VF). Apamin eliminated the negative Ca2+–voltage coupling, attenuated alternans and reduced VF inducibility, phase singularities and dominant frequencies in females, but not in males. We conclude that β‐adrenergic stimulation activates ventricular IKAS in females to a much greater extent than in males. IKAS activation plays an important role in ventricular arrhythmogenesis in females during sympathetic stimulation

Tumor and reproductive traits are linked by RNA metabolism genes in the mouse ovary: a transcriptome-phenotype association analysis

Background: The link between reproductive life history and incidence of ovarian tumors is well known. Periods of reduced ovulations may confer protection against ovarian cancer. Using phenotypic data available for mouse, a possible association between the ovarian transcriptome, reproductive records and spontaneous ovarian tumor rates was investigated in four mouse inbred strains. NIA15k-DNA microarrays were employed to obtain expression profiles of BalbC, C57BL6, FVB and SWR adult ovaries.Results: Linear regression analysis with multiple-test control (adjusted p ≤ 0.05) resulted in ovarian tumor frequency (OTF) and number of litters (NL) as the top-correlated among five tested phenotypes. Moreover, nearly one-hundred genes were coincident between these two traits and were decomposed in 76 OTF(-) NL(+) and 20 OTF(+) NL(-) genes, where the plus/minus signs indicate the direction of correlation. Enriched functional categories were RNA-binding/mRNA-processing and protein folding in the OT