UOLO - automatic object detection and segmentation in biomedical images

We propose UOLO, a novel framework for the simultaneous detection and segmentation of structures of interest in medical images. UOLO consists of an object segmentation module which intermediate abstract representations are processed and used as input for object detection. The resulting system is optimized simultaneously for detecting a class of objects and segmenting an optionally different class of structures. UOLO is trained on a set of bounding boxes enclosing the objects to detect, as well as pixel-wise segmentation information, when available. A new loss function is devised, taking into account whether a reference segmentation is accessible for each training image, in order to suitably backpropagate the error. We validate UOLO on the task of simultaneous optic disc (OD) detection, fovea detection, and OD segmentation from retinal images, achieving state-of-the-art performance on public datasets.Comment: Publised on DLMIA 2018. Licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0

Morphoanatomical and phytochemical studies for the quality control of Neurolaena lobata (L.) R.Br. ex Cass. (Asteraceae)

Neurolaena lobata (L.) R.Br. ex Cass. (Asteraceae)Is a popular folk remedy for in Central America. The plant is of commercial value in Guatemala but so far there is not any monograph to guide regional laboratories on ensuring identity and chemical tests for this species. As identity test we here run macro and micro morphoanatomical studies of the characters of the vegetative organs. We also developed standard chemical tests for quality by both TLC and HPLC for infusions and tinctures of varying alcoholic strength. Their radical scavenging activities in DPPH and NO were also measured. Macro and micro morphoanatomical characters of the vegetative organs present a set of characteristics to facilitate the identification of dry powdered samples of this species. We developed optimal conditions for the TLC and HPLC phytochemical fingerprints of the 4 most common pharmacopoeial liquid herbal preparations from this herbal drug, namely infusion, 70%, 45% and 20% hydroalcoholic tinctures. Our work provides the Latin-American industry with a set of analyses to establish the identity and chemistry of N. lobata samples for quality control purposes. © 2019, Universidad de Santiago de Chile. All rights reserved

Evidence of suppression of onchocerciasis transmission in the Venezuelan Amazonian focus.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) has set goals for onchocerciasis elimination in Latin America by 2015. Most of the six previously endemic countries are attaining this goal by implementing twice a year (and in some foci, quarterly) mass ivermectin (Mectizan®) distribution. Elimination of transmission has been verified in Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico. Challenges remain in the Amazonian focus straddling Venezuela and Brazil, where the disease affects the hard-to-reach Yanomami indigenous population. We provide evidence of suppression of Onchocerca volvulus transmission by Simulium guianense s.l. in 16 previously hyperendemic Yanomami communities in southern Venezuela after 15 years of 6-monthly and 5 years of 3-monthly mass ivermectin treatment. METHODS: Baseline and monitoring and evaluation parasitological, ophthalmological, entomological and serological surveys were conducted in selected sentinel and extra-sentinel communities of the focus throughout the implementation of the programme. RESULTS: From 2010 to 2012–2015, clinico-parasitological surveys indicate a substantial decrease in skin microfilarial prevalence and intensity of infection; accompanied by no evidence (or very low prevalence and intensity) of ocular microfilariae in the examined population. Of a total of 51,341 S. guianense flies tested by PCR none had L3 infection (heads only). Prevalence of infective flies and seasonal transmission potentials in 2012–2013 were, respectively, under 1 % and 20 L3/person/transmission season. Serology in children aged 1–10 years demonstrated that although 26 out of 396 (7 %) individuals still had Ov-16 antibodies, only 4/218 (2 %) seropositives were aged 1–5 years. CONCLUSIONS: We report evidence of recent transmission and morbidity suppression in some communities of the focus representing 75 % of the Yanomami population and 70 % of all known communities. We conclude that onchocerciasis transmission could be feasibly interrupted in the Venezuelan Amazonian focus. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1313-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

A Three-Year Study on Peer Evaluation in a Software Engineering Project Course

Background: Peer evaluation in software engineering (SE) project courses enhances the learning experience of students. It also helps instructors monitor and assess both teams and individual students. Peer evaluations might influence the way individual students and teams work therefore the quality of the peer evaluations should be tracked through the project course. Contribution: In this paper, we analyzed the quality and scoring behavior of students in peer evaluation in an undergraduate SE project course over three years. Research Questions: RQ1: What is the quality of peer evaluation of undergraduate students in a SE project course? RQ2: How do undergraduate students in a SE project course score each other? Methodology: The quality of peer evaluation (length, level of detail, etc.) and scoring of peers based on various aspects of peer evaluations of third-year students in a year-long SE project course were studied. Taking into account the grade students received at the end of the course (A, B, C and F-calibers), peer evaluations were categorized, analyzed over time and compared between students calibers. Findings: After analyzing 6,854 peer evaluations from 193 students, it was found that the quality of peer evaluations across students was mostly consistent throughout the course. Also, it was observed that quantitative aspects of the peer evaluation were scored similarly across student calibers. However, the qualitative aspects of the peer evaluation were impacted by the caliber of students. These findings suggest that weaker students (i.e., C-caliber students) generally receive better quality peer evaluations than stronger students (i.e., A-caliber students). Lastly, a preliminary analysis showed a positive connotation of emotions and sentiments found in textual feedback delivered by students

Pleosporales

One hundred and five generic types of Pleosporales are described and illustrated. A brief introduction and detailed history with short notes on morphology, molecular phylogeny as well as a general conclusion of each genus are provided. For those genera where the type or a representative specimen is unavailable, a brief note is given. Altogether 174 genera of Pleosporales are treated. Phaeotrichaceae as well as Kriegeriella, Zeuctomorpha and Muroia are excluded from Pleosporales. Based on the multigene phylogenetic analysis, the suborder Massarineae is emended to accommodate five families, viz. Lentitheciaceae, Massarinaceae, Montagnulaceae, Morosphaeriaceae and Trematosphaeriaceae

Microencapsulation techniques: a proposal for microencapsulated probiotics.

A la hora de utilizar probióticos, el principal problema que se presenta, es la escasa resistencia de estos a diferentes condiciones ambientales y tecnológicas. Las técnicas de microencapsulación son un buen método para proteger a estos microorganismos, sin embargo no todas las técnicas son apropiadas para los probióticos. En este artículo proponemos la técnica de gelificación interna, que por sus características permite la obtención de un tamaño de partícula adecuado y la supervivencia de los microorganismos.The main problem when probiotics are used is the low resistance of these to different environmental and technological conditions. The microencapsulation techniques are a good method in order to protect the probiotics, Nevertheless not all techniques of microencapsulation are suitable for probiotics. In this paper, we propose the internal gelification which allows us to obtain a suitable particle size and the survival of the microorganisms

In vitro culture with gemcitabine augments death receptor and NKG2D ligand expression on tumour cells

Much effort has been made to try to understand the relationship between chemotherapeutic treatment of cancer and the immune system. Whereas much of that focus has been on the direct effect of chemotherapy drugs on immune cells and the release of antigens and danger signals by malignant cells killed by chemotherapy, the effect of chemotherapy on cells surviving treatment has often been overlooked. In the present study, tumour cell lines: A549 (lung), HCT116 (colon) and MCF-7 (breast), were treated with various concentrations of the chemotherapeutic drugs cyclophosphamide, gemcitabine (GEM) and oxaliplatin (OXP) for 24 hours in vitro. In line with other reports, GEM and OXP upregulated expression of the death receptor CD95 (fas) on live cells even at sub-cytotoxic concentrations. Further investigation revealed that the increase in CD95 in response to GEM sensitised the cells to fas ligand treatment, was associated with increased phosphorylation of stress activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase and that other death receptors and activatory immune receptors were co-ordinately upregulated with CD95 in certain cell lines. The upregulation of death receptors and NKG2D ligands together on cells after chemotherapy suggest that although the cells have survived preliminary treatment with chemotherapy they may now be more susceptible to immune cell-mediated challenge. This re-enforces the idea that chemotherapy-immunotherapy combinations may be useful clinically and has implications for the make-up and scheduling of such treatments

Neurocysticercosis, a Persisting Health Problem in Mexico

Human neurocysticercosis is a severe parasitic disease caused by the installation of Taenia solium larvae in the central nervous system. Neurocysticercosis is still deeply rooted in Latin-America, Africa and Asia, where it develops its complete life cycle promoted by poor sanitary conditions. It is also emerging in developed countries due to human migration. Although hard data on the evolution of the disease incidence in endemic countries are lacking, its presence is being obscured by the growth of degenerative and metabolic diseases, creating the illusion of having disappeared

Beautiful Mirrors at the LHC

We explore the "Beautiful Mirrors" model, which aims to explain the measured value of $A^b_{FB}$, discrepant at the $2.9\sigma$ level. This scenario introduces vector-like quarks which mix with the bottom, subtly affecting its coupling to the $Z$. The spectrum of the new particles consists of two bottom-like quarks and a charge -4/3 quark, all of which have electroweak interactions with the third generation. We explore the phenomenology and discovery reach for these new particles at the LHC, exploring single mirror quark production modes whose rates are proportional to the same mixing parameters which resolve the $A_{FB}^b$ anomaly. We find that for mirror quark masses $\lesssim 500 GeV, a 14 TeV LHC with 300 {\rm fb}^{-1}$ is required to reasonably establish the scenario and extract the relevant mixing parameters.Comment: version to be published in JHE