Thoracic Disease Identification and Localization with Limited Supervision

Accurate identification and localization of abnormalities from radiology images play an integral part in clinical diagnosis and treatment planning. Building a highly accurate prediction model for these tasks usually requires a large number of images manually annotated with labels and finding sites of abnormalities. In reality, however, such annotated data are expensive to acquire, especially the ones with location annotations. We need methods that can work well with only a small amount of location annotations. To address this challenge, we present a unified approach that simultaneously performs disease identification and localization through the same underlying model for all images. We demonstrate that our approach can effectively leverage both class information as well as limited location annotation, and significantly outperforms the comparative reference baseline in both classification and localization tasks.Comment: Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition 2018 (CVPR 2018). V1: CVPR submission; V2: +supplementary; V3: CVPR camera-ready; V4: correction, update reference baseline results according to their latest post; V5: minor correction; V6: Identification results using NIH data splits and various image model

In-vitro cytotoxicity of biosynthesized gold nanoparticles against thyroid cancer cell lines

Purpose: To undertake the biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using Shorea tumbuggaia bark extract and to study their in-vitro cytotoxicity in thyroid cancer (SW579) cell lines.Methods: AuNPs were prepared by adding 10 mL of Shorea tumbuggaia extract to 5 mL of 2 × 10-3 M of chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) and stirred at room temperature for about 20 min. The AuNPs were evaluated by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). They were also assessed for cytotoxicity against SW579 cells using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.Results: The reaction of Shorea tumbuggaia extract with HAuCl4 led to a change in the color of the reaction solution to ruby red after 20 min, indicating the formation of AuNPs. The results of various instrumental tests, including XRD, TEM, UV–vis spectroscopy and FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed the formation of AuNPs. TEM images showed spherical NPs with a mean particle size of 20 nM. Further, in vitro cytotoxicity results indicated concentration-dependent cytotoxicity against SW579 cell lines.Conclusions: A simple, green and low-cost method for the preparation of AuNPs using Shorea tumbuggaia extract has been achieved. The AuNPs exert cytotoxic activity against SW579 cell lines.Keywords: Shorea tumbuggaia, Polyphenols, Gold nanoparticles, Cytotoxicity, Thyroid cancer cel

Microscopic Phase Structure of Mo-based Catalyst and Its Catalytic Activity for Soot Oxidation

The MoO3 catalysts supported on nano-scale TiO2 with various loading rates (5%, 10%, 20%, and 40%) were prepared by an impregnation method. The phase structures of nano-scale MoO3/TiO2 catalysts were characterized by Brunner-Emmet-Teller, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectra, X-ray Diffraction, and Scanning Electron Microscope. The oxidation activities of catalysts over diesel soot were performed in a Thermogravimetric Analysis system. The kinetics of the catalytic oxidation process was analyzed based on Starink method. The characterization results showed that the phase structure of MoO3 supported on TiO2 depends heavily on the molybdenum contents, which put great effects on soot oxidation. The orthorhombic crystal system (α-MoO3) appeared on the surface of the catalysts when the MoO3 exceeds 10%. Due to the low melting point and good surface mobility of MoO3, the catalytic activity was increased and the characteristic temperatures were decreased with the increase in MoO3 contents. As a result, the activities of catalysts with different loading rates for soot oxidation can be ranked as: Mo5<Mo10<Mo2

Effect of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch) Bunge extract on streptozocin-induced diabetic in rats

Purpose: To investigate the effect of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge. extract (AMBE) on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.Methods: The aqueous extract of AMB was obtained by steeping the dried  Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge. in water at 60 oC three times, each for 1 h, before first drying in an oven at 100 oC and then freeze-drying the last extract thus obtained. Diabete model rats was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of a freshly prepared solution of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). The rats were randomly divided into 6 groups of ten rats each: negative control group, normal control group, reference group (glibenclamide1 mg/kgbody weight) as well as AMB extract groups, namely, 40, 80 and 160 mg/kg body weight. Antihyperglycemic effect was measured by blood glucose and plasma insulin levels. Oxidative stress was evaluated in liver and kidney by antioxidant markers, viz, lipidperoxidation (LPO), superoxide  dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT), while blood serum levels of creatinine and urea were also determined in both diabetic control and treated rats.Results: Compared with diabetic rats, oral administration of AMBE at a  concentration of 160 mg/kg daily for 30 days showed a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose (109.438 ± 3.52, p &lt; 0.05) and increased insulin level (13.96 ± 0.74, p &lt; 0.05). Furthermore, it significantly reduced biochemical parameters (serum creatinine, 0.86 ± 0.29, p &lt; 0.05) and serum urea (45.14 ± 1.79, p &lt; 0.05). The treatment also resulted in significant increase in GSH (49.21 ± 2.59, p &lt; 0.05), GPx (11.96 ± 1.16, p &lt; 0.05), SOD (14.13 ± 0.49, p &lt; 0.05), CAT (83.25 ± 3.14, p &lt; 0.05) level in the liver and kidney of diabetic rats.Conclusion: The results suggest that AMBE may effectively normalize impaired  antioxidant status in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in a dose-dependent manner. AMBE has a protective effect against lipid peroxidation by scavenging free radicals and is thus capable of reducing the risk of diabetic complications.Keywords: Astragalus membranaceus, Diabetic, Antihyperglycemic, Antioxidant Oxidative stress, Fasting blood glucos

Antioxidant and antibacterial activity of Toddalia asiatica (Linn) Lam root extracts

Background: Toddalia asiatica (Linn) Lam is a woody vine that is used medicinally in China, India, and East Africa. The aim of the present study was to examine the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of the roots of Toddalia asiatica (Linn) Lam (TA).Materials and Methods: The antioxidant capacity of TA roots was determined using 1,1 iphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2´-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonicacid) (ABTS), and the ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) assay. The antimicrobial activity of TA against Staphylococcus aureus (SA), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and extended spectrum β-lactamase positive S. aureus (ESBLs-SA) was screened.Results: Methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of TA exhibited strong antioxidant activity. The methanol extract had the highest antioxidant activity (DPPH, IC50=41.45 μg/mL; ABTS, IC50=8.34 μg/mL; FRAP=1304.8 ± 60.38 μmol Trolox equivalent (TE)/g), which was close to that of the positive control, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). The petroleum ether extract of TA showed the highest antimicrobial activity (SA, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) = 250 μg/disc; MRSA, MIC=125 μg/disc) when compared with that of ethyl acetate extract (SA, MIC=250 μg/disc) and methanol extract.Conclusions: Investigation of methanol, petroleum ether, and ethyl acetate extracts of TA root revealed robust antioxidant activity in methanol extracts and strong antimicrobial activity against SA and MRSA in petroleum ether extracts.Keywords: Toddalia asiatica (Linn) Lam; antioxidant; antibacteria

FRACTAL SPACE BASED DIMENSIONLESS ANALYSIS OF THE SURFACE SETTLEMENT INDUCED BY THE SHIELD TUNNELING

The surface settlement during the tunneling process is becoming increasingly difficult to forecast as its surroundings become more and more erratic, and the maximal surface settlement raises risks posed suddenly by various uncertain factors. This paper proposes a novel approach to prediction of the surface settlement and analyzes the stability of tunnel construction. The dimensionless analysis and Buckingham’s π-theorem are adopted for this purpose, and some useful dimensionless quantities are found, which can be used to determine the surface settlement’s main properties. In this manner, the paper offers new ways of predicting surface settlement in various cases, and it sheds a new light on the tunnel’s design and safety monitoring