Refining Parkinson’s neurological disorder identification through deep transfer learning

© 2019, Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature. Parkinson’s disease (PD), a multi-system neurodegenerative disorder which affects the brain slowly, is characterized by symptoms such as muscle stiffness, tremor in the limbs and impaired balance, all of which tend to worsen with the passage of time. Available treatments target its symptoms, aiming to improve the quality of life. However, automatic diagnosis at early stages is still a challenging medicine-related task to date, since a patient may have an identical behavior to that of a healthy individual at the very early stage of the disease. Parkinson’s disease detection through handwriting data is a significant classification problem for identification of PD at the infancy stage. In this paper, a PD identification is realized with help of handwriting images that help as one of the earliest indicators for PD. For this purpose, we proposed a deep convolutional neural network classifier with transfer learning and data augmentation techniques to improve the identification. Two approaches like freeze and fine-tuning of transfer learning are investigated using ImageNet and MNIST dataset as source task independently. A trained network achieved 98.28% accuracy using fine-tuning-based approach using ImageNet and PaHaW dataset. Experimental results on benchmark dataset reveal that the proposed approach provides better detection of Parkinson’s disease as compared to state-of-the-art work

Cytotoxic Effect of Ethanol Extract of Convolvulus arvensis L (Convolvulaceae) on Lymphoblastic Leukemia Jurkat Cells

Purpose: To evaluate the cytotoxic effect of ethanol extract of aerial parts of Convolvulus arvensis against lymphoblastic leukemia, Jurkat cells.Methods: The aerial parts of C. arvensis were collected, identified, powdered and soaked in ethanol. The extract was filtered and evaporated, and the residue assessed for cytotoxic activity in Jurkat cell line. The cells were exposed to different concentrations (10, 25, 50, 75 and 100 μg/mL) of the extract to determine cell viability, cell proliferation, apoptosis using Trypan blue exclusion assay, 3-(4,5- dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay and fluorescent activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis, respectively.Results: Trypan blue exclusion assay and MTS assay results indicate that the ethanol extract decreased the number of living cells in a concentration-dependent fashion. The results of FACS analysis showed that the lowest concentration of the extract (10 μg/mL) was most effective for the induction of apoptosis as it induced maximum apoptosis (85.34 %) and the highest concentration (100 μg/mL) was less effective as it induced less apoptosis (53.70 %) in Jurkat cells (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The ethanol extract of C. arvensis has significant cytotoxic activity against the selected cancer cell line. Furthermore, apoptotic effect was more prominent at lower doses and necrosis at higher doses of the extract.Keywords: Convolvulus arvensis; (MTS) 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4- sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium assay; Trypan blue exclusion assay, Apoptosis, Necrosi

Nonlinear characterization of a bistable energy harvester dynamical system

International audienceThis chapter explores the nonlinear dynamics of a piezo-magneto-elastic bistable energy device system regards the influence of external forcing parameters influence on system response. Time series, Poincaré maps, phase space trajectories, and bifurcation diagrams are employed in order to reveals system dynamics complexity and nonlinear effects, such as chaos incidence and hysteresis

Characteristics and predictors of progression in an Egyptian multiple sclerosis cohort: a multicenter registry study

Sherif M Hamdy,1 Maged Abdel-Naseer,1 Nevin M Shalaby,1 Alaa N Elmazny,1 Ahmed A Nemr,2 Amr Hassan,1 Mohamed I Hegazy,1 Husam S Mourad,1 Nirmeen A Kishk,1 Mona A Nada,1 Ahmed Abdelalim,1 Amr M Fouad,1 Hatem S Shehata1 1Neurology Department, Cairo University, 2Neurology Department, Maadi Military Hospital, Cairo, Egypt Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex autoimmune disease with a heterogeneous presentation and diverse disease course. Recent studies indicate a rising prevalence of MS in the Middle East.Objective: To characterize the demographics and disease features of Egyptian patients attending four tertiary referral MS centers in Cairo.Materials and methods: This was a retrospective, observational study on 1,581 patients between 2001 and 2015. Medical records were reviewed and data were identified and extracted in a standardized electronic registry.Results: The mean age of disease onset was 26.6±7.8 years, with the majority being female (2.11:1). Relapsing–remitting MS was the most common type (75.1%). The main presenting symptom was motor weakness (43.9%), which was also the most frequent symptom during the disease course. Family history of MS was found in 2.28%. Higher initial Expanded Disability Status Scale score, black holes, and infratentorial lesions on initial magnetic resonance imaging were independent factors for disease progression by univariate analysis (OR 3.87 [95% CI 1.84–6.51], 4.14 [95% CI 3.08–5.58], 4.07 [95% CI 3.21–4.99], respectively); however, in multivariate analysis, only infratentorial lesions were an independent risk for disease progression (OR 6, 95% CI 2.99–12.02; P=0.0005).Conclusion: The results from this registry – the largest for MS in the Arab region to date – are comparable to other registries with slight differences. Keywords: multiple sclerosis, MS registry, epidemiology, Middle East, North Africa, Egypt&nbsp

Pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis in Egypt: a multi-center registry of 186 patients

Sherif M Hamdy,1 Maged Abdel-Naseer,1 Nevin M Shalaby,1 Alaa Elmazny,1 Marian Girgis,2 Mona A Nada,1 Amr Hassan,1 Husam S Mourad,1 Mohamed I Hegazy,1 Ahmed Abdelalim,1 Nirmeen A Kishk,1 Noha T Abokrysha,1 Shaimaa A Genedy,1 Ehab A Essawy,3 Hatem S Shehata1 1Neurology Department, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt; 2Pediatric Department, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt; 3Division of Biochemistry, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Helwan, Egypt Introduction: Although the frequency of pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) has increased in recent decades, it is still highly uncommon, which creates a need for the involvement of more registries from various clinical centers.Objective: To characterize the demographic, clinical, and paraclinical features of Egyptian patients with POMS.Patients and methods: A retrospective chart review study was undertaken on 237 Egyptian patients with demyelinating events which started before the age of 18 years who attended one of five tertiary referral centers in Cairo, Egypt.Results: Multiple sclerosis was diagnosed in 186 patients, 47 (25.27%) patients had disease onset before the age of 12 years; “early-onset pediatric multiple sclerosis (EOPMS)”. The mean age of disease onset was (14.13±2.49 years), with a female:male ratio of 1.62:1, none of the enrolled patients had a primary progressive course (PPMS), whereas 10 patients (5.38%) had a secondary progressive form. Approximately two-thirds of the patients had monofocal disease onset, and less than 10% presented with encephalopathy; most of them had EOPMS. Motor weakness was the presenting symptom in half of the patients, whereas cerebellar presentation was detected in 34.95%, mainly in EOPMS. Seizures (not related to encephalopathy) were more frequent in those with EOPMS. Initial brain magnetic resonance images were positive in all patients, with detected atypical lesions in 29.03%, enhanced lesions in 35.48%, black holes in 13.98%, and infratentorial in 34.41%. Cervical cord involvement was found in 68.28%. More than two-thirds of the patients received either immunomodulatory or immunosuppressant (IS) treatment throughout their disease course, and about half of them received their treatment within the first year from symptoms onset, with a more favorable outcome, and patients with highly active disease received natalizumab, fingolimod, or other IS.Conclusion: The results from this registry – the largest for MS in the Arab region to date – are comparable to other registries. Immunomodulatory therapies in POMS are well tolerated and efficacious and they can improve the long-term outcome in children. Keywords: multiple sclerosis, pediatric onset, early onset, registry, Egypt&nbsp

Management Strategies of Patients with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic Era

Sherif M Hamdy, Maged Abdel-Naseer, Hatem S Shehata, Nevin M Shalaby, Amr Hassan, Alaa Elmazny, Ehab Shaker, Mona AF Nada, Sandra M Ahmed, Mohamed I Hegazy, Husam S Mourad, Ahmed Abdelalim, Rehab Magdy, Alshimaa S Othman, Doaa A Mekkawy, Nirmeen A Kishk Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, EgyptCorrespondence: Alaa Elmazny 66-Manial-Street, Cairo, EgyptTel +966536012237Email [email protected]: The ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a global health emergency of international concern and has affected management plans of many autoimmune disorders. Immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapies are pivotal in the management of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), potentially placing patients at an increased risk of contracting infections such as COVID-19. The optimal management strategy of NMOSD during the COVID-19 era remains unclear. Here, however, we examined the evidence of NMOSD disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) use during the present period and highlighted different scenarios including treatment of relapses as well as initiation and maintenance of DMTs in order to optimize care of NMOSD patients in the COVID-19 era.Keywords: neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, COVID-19, pandemi