Quantitative Screening of Cervical Cancers for Low-Resource Settings: Pilot Study of Smartphone-Based Endoscopic Visual Inspection After Acetic Acid Using Machine Learning Techniques

Background: Approximately 90% of global cervical cancer (CC) is mostly found in low- and middle-income countries. In most cases, CC can be detected early through routine screening programs, including a cytology-based test. However, it is logistically difficult to offer this program in low-resource settings due to limited resources and infrastructure, and few trained experts. A visual inspection following the application of acetic acid (VIA) has been widely promoted and is routinely recommended as a viable form of CC screening in resource-constrained countries. Digital images of the cervix have been acquired during VIA procedure with better quality assurance and visualization, leading to higher diagnostic accuracy and reduction of the variability of detection rate. However, a colposcope is bulky, expensive, electricity-dependent, and needs routine maintenance, and to confirm the grade of abnormality through its images, a specialist must be present. Recently, smartphone-based imaging systems have made a significant impact on the practice of medicine by offering a cost-effective, rapid, and noninvasive method of evaluation. Furthermore, computer-aided analyses, including image processing-based methods and machine learning techniques, have also shown great potential for a high impact on medicinal evaluations

Constitutive modeling of deformation behavior of high-entropy alloys with face-centered cubic crystal structure

A constitutive model based on the dislocation glide and deformation twinning is adapted to face-centered cubic high-entropy alloys (HEAs) as exemplified by the CrMnFeCoNi system. In this model, the total dislocation density is considered as the only internal variable, while the evolution equation describing its variation during plastic deformation is governed by the volume fraction of twinned material. The suitability of the model for describing the strain hardening behavior of HEAs was verified experimentally through compression tests on alloy CrMnFeCoNi and its microstructure characterization by electron backscatter diffraction and X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. ? 2017 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.1111Ysciescopu

Lamellar keratoplasty using position-guided surgical needle and M-mode optical coherence tomography

Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) is an emerging surgical technique for the restoration of corneal clarity and vision acuity. The big-bubble technique in DALK surgery is the most essential procedure that includes the air injection through a thin syringe needle to separate the dysfunctional region of the cornea. Even though DALK is a well-known transplant method, it is still challenged to manipulate the needle inside the cornea under the surgical microscope, which varies its surgical yield. Here, we introduce the DALK protocol based on the position-guided needle and M-mode optical coherence tomography (OCT). Depth-resolved 26-gage needle was specially designed, fabricated by the stepwise transitional core fiber, and integrated with the swept source OCT system. Since our device is feasible to provide both the position information inside the cornea as well as air injection, it enables the accurate management of bubble formation during DALK. Our results show that real-time feedback of needle end position was intuitionally visualized and fast enough to adjust the location of the needle. Through our research, we realized that position-guided needle combined with M-mode OCT is a very efficient and promising surgical tool, which also to enhance the accuracy and stability of DALK

Protective Effect of Heme Oxygenase-1 on High Glucose-Induced Pancreatic β-Cell Injury

BackgroundGlucose toxicity that is caused by chronic exposure to a high glucose concentration leads to islet dysfunction and induces apoptosis in pancreatic β-cells. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has been identified as an anti-apoptotic and cytoprotective gene. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether HO-1 up-regulation when using metalloprotophyrin (cobalt protoporphyrin, CoPP) could protect pancreatic β-cells from high glucose-induced apoptosis.MethodsReverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was performed to analyze the CoPP-induced mRNA expression of HO-1. Cell viability of INS-1 cells cultured in the presence of CoPP was examined by acridine orange/propidium iodide staining. The generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured using flow cytometry. Glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) was determined following incubation with CoPP in different glucose concentrations.ResultsCoPP increased HO-1 mRNA expression in both a dose- and time-dependent manner. Overexpression of HO-1 inhibited caspase-3, and the number of dead cells in the presence of CoPP was significantly decreased when exposed to high glucose conditions (HG). CoPP also decreased the generation of intracellular ROS by 50% during 72 hours of culture with HG. However, decreased GSIS was not recovered even in the presence of CoPP.ConclusionOur data suggest that CoPP-induced HO-1 up-regulation results in protection from high glucose-induced apoptosis in INS-1 cells; however, glucose stimulated insulin secretion is not restored

The effect of overweight on the luteinizing hormone level after gonadorelin stimulation test in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty

Purpose We investigated the effect of overweight on luteinizing hormone (LH) levels after a gonadorelin stimulation test in Korean girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty (CPP). Methods Medical records of 234 girls diagnosed with idiopathic CPP were reviewed retrospectively. CPP was diagnosed when the peak LH levels after gonadorelin stimulation was >5.0 U/L. The enrolled girls had a peak LH level >5.0 U/L after a gonadorelin stimulation test. Selected girls were classified as normoweight (body mass index [BMI] below the 85th percentile with respect to age) and overweight (BMI greater than the 85th percentile with respect to age). Results The peak LH (8.95±2.85 U/L vs. 11.97±8.42 U/L, P<0.01) and peak follicle-stimulating hormone (9.60±2.91 U/L vs. 11.17±7.77 U/L, P=0.04) after gonadorelin stimulation were lower in overweight girls with idiopathic CPP than in normoweight girls with idiopathic CPP. Being overweight was negatively associated with peak LH levels after gonadorelin stimulation test (odds ratio, 0.89; 95 % confidence interval, 0.81–0.98, P=0.02). Conclusions In girls with idiopathic CPP, being overweight led to a lower LH peak after gonadorelin stimulation. Further research is needed to better understand the role of overweight on gonadotropin secretion in precocious puberty

Close Correlation of Monoamine Oxidase Activity with Progress of Alzheimer’s Disease in Mice, Observed by in Vivo Two-Photon Imaging

Monoamine oxidases (MAOs) play an important role in Alzheimer&apos;s disease (AD) pathology. We report in vivo comonitoring of MAO activity and amyloid-beta (A beta) plaques dependent on the aging of live mice with AD, using a two-photon fluorescence probe. The probe under the catalytic action of MAO produces a dipolar fluorophore that senses A beta plaques, a general AD biomarker, enabling us to comonitor the enzyme activity and the progress of AD indicated by A beta plaques. The results show that the progress of AD has a close correlation with MAO activity, which can be categorized into three stages: slow initiation stage up to three months, an aggressive stage, and a saturation stage from nine months. Histological analysis also reveals elevation of MAO activity around A beta plaques in aged mice. The close correlation between the MAO activity and AD progress observed by in vivo monitoring for the first time prompts us to investigate the enzyme as a potential biomarker of AD.1195Ysciescopu

Association between serum alanine aminotransferase level and obesity indices in Korean adolescents

PurposeTo analyze the correlation between serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and obesity indices including body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BFP), total fat mass (FM), truncal fat mass (TFM), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in Korean adolescents.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study based on data derived from the 2010-2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES). Subjects were Korean adolescents aged 10-18 years (871 total; 475 boys and 396 girls) who participated in KNHANES.ResultsIn both sexes, BMI, FM, TFM, WC, and WHtR were higher when ALT levels were in the 4th quartile. In boys, there was a significant positive correlation between ALT level and BMI, BFP, FM, TFM, WC, and WHtR (r=0.55, P<0.0001 for BMI; r=0.52, P<0.0001 for BFP; r=0.58, P<0.0001 for FM; r=0.61, P<0.0001 for TFM; and r=0.56, P<0.0001 for WC; r=0.62, P<0.0001 for WHtR), and the correlation coefficient was higher than that in girls.ConclusionOur results suggest a significant positive association between serum ALT level and obesity indices in male adolescents

Cyr61 Expression is associated with prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND: Cysteine-rich 61 (Cyr61), a member of the CCN protein family, possesses diverse functionality in cellular processes such as adhesion, migration, proliferation, and survival. Cyr61 can also function as an oncogene or a tumour suppressor, depending on the origin of the cancer. Only a few studies have reported Cyr61 expression in colorectal cancer. In this study, we assessed the Cyr61 expression in 251 colorectal cancers with clinical follow up. METHODS: We examined Cyr61 expression in 6 colorectal cancer cell lines (HT29, Colo205, Lovo, HCT116, SW480, SW620) and 20 sets of paired normal and colorectal cancer tissues by western blot. To validate the association of Cyr61 expression with clinicopathological parameters, we assessed Cyr61 expression using tissue microarray analysis of primary colorectal cancer by immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: We verified that all of the cancer cell lines expressed Cyr61; 2 cell lines (HT29 and Colo205) demonstrated Cyr61 expression to a slight extent, while 4 cell lines (Lovo, HCT116, SW480, SW620) demonstrated greater Cyr61 expression than HT29 and Colo205 cell lines. Among the 20 cases of paired normal and tumour tissues, greater Cyr61 expression was observed in 16 (80%) tumour tissues than in normal tissues. Furthermore, 157 out of 251 cases (62.5%) of colorectal cancer examined in this study displayed strong Cyr61 expression. Cyr61 expression was found to be associated with pN (p = 0.018). Moreover, Cyr61 expression was associated with statistically significant cancer-specific mortality (p = 0.029). The duration of survival was significantly lesser in patients with Cyr61 high expression than in patients with Cyr61 low expression (p = 0.001). These results suggest that Cyr61 expression plays several important roles in carcinogenesis and may also be a good prognostic marker for colorectal cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirmed that Cyr61 was expressed in colorectal cancers and the expression was correlated with worse prognosis of colorectal cancers

The association of serum irisin with anthropometric, metabolic, and bone parameters in obese children and adolescents

BackgroundIrisin is an adipomyokine secreted by muscle and adipose cells, and it plays a role in glucose, fat, and bone metabolism. This study aimed to determine the correlation of serum irisin levels with anthropometric, metabolic, and bone parameters in obese children and adolescents.MethodsThis single-center study included 103 Korean children and adolescents: 54 (52.4%) obese participants with a body mass index (BMI) ≥95th percentile and 49 (47.6%) healthy controls with BMI within the 15th to 85th percentile. Various parameters were measured, including fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), triglyceride and glucose (TyG) index, lipid profile, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin, and 25(OH)-Vitamin D levels. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in 33 healthy subjects.ResultsSerum irisin was significantly higher in the obese group than in the control group (mean 18.1 ± 3.5 vs. 16.2 ± 2.0 ng/mL; p = 0.001). Serum irisin level was positively correlated with chronological age (r = 0.28; p = 0.004), height SDS (r = 0.24; p = 0.02), BMI SDS (r = 0.37; p &lt; 0. 001), fasting glucose (r = 0.27; p = 0.007), fasting insulin (r = 0.23; p = 0.03), HOMA-IR (r = 0.21; p = 0.04), osteocalcin (r = 0.27; p = 0.006) and negatively correlated with HDL cholesterol (r = -0.29; p = 0.005). All these correlations were evident in obese subjects but not in healthy subjects. ALP and 25(OH)-Vitamin D were unrelated to irisin levels. Among 33 healthy subjects, total body-less head (TBLH) BMD Z-score was positively correlated with serum irisin (r = 0.39; p = 0.03), osteocalcin (r = 0.40; p = 0.02), fasting insulin (r = 0.39; p = 0.04), and HOMA-IR (r = 0.38; p = 0.047).ConclusionThis study demonstrated an association between irisin levels and glucose, lipid, and bone parameters in children and adolescents. Our findings suggest that irisin has a potential role in metabolic disorders and bone health in obese children and adolescents