Transfer-Learning-Based Approach for the Diagnosis of Lung Diseases from Chest X-ray Images

Using chest X-ray images is one of the least expensive and easiest ways to diagnose patients who suffer from lung diseases such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Inspired by existing work, a deep learning model is proposed to classify chest X-ray images into 14 lung-related pathological conditions. However, small datasets are not sufficient to train the deep learning model. Two methods were used to tackle this: (1) transfer learning based on two pretrained neural networks, DenseNet and ResNet, was employed; (2) data were preprocessed, including checking data leakage, handling class imbalance, and performing data augmentation, before feeding the neural network. The proposed model was evaluated according to the classification accuracy and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, as well as visualized by class activation maps. DenseNet121 and ResNet50 were used in the simulations, and the results showed that the model trained by DenseNet121 had better accuracy than that trained by ResNet50

Holographic Charged Fluid with Chiral Electric Separation Effect

Hydrodynamics with both vector and axial currents is under study within a holographic model, consisting of canonical $U(1)_V\times U(1)_A$ gauge fields in an asymptotically AdS$_5$ black brane. When gravitational back-reaction is taken into account, the chiral electric separation effect (CESE), namely the generation of an axial current as the response to an external electric field, is realized naturally. Via fluid/gravity correspondence, all the first order transport coefficients in the hydrodynamic constitutive relations are evaluated analytically: they are functions of vector chemical potential $\mu$, axial chemical potential $\mu_5$ and the fluid's temperature $T$. Apart from the proportionality factor $\mu\mu_5$, the CESE conductivity is found to be dependent on the dimensionless quantities $\mu/T$ and $\mu_5/T$ nontrivially. As a complementary study, frequency-dependent transport phenomena are revealed through linear response analysis, demonstrating perfect agreement with the results obtained from fluid/gravity correspondence.Comment: 39 pages, 6 figures, 1 table; Matches published version, the main results are summarized in sec 1.1 and we thank the referee for valuable suggestion

Common and different features of Chinese and Italian hydrogeological mapping guidelines

The definition of common international guidelines for the compilation of high quality hydrogeological maps has been attempted from the second half of the last century for hydrogeologists, to solve the lack of uniformity among national guidelines due to the various geological-hydrogeological and climatic situations of different countries worldwide. With this aim, the China Geological Survey and the Geological Survey of Italy-ISPRA are undertaking cooperative research in implementing 1:50,000 scale hydrogeological survey and mapping at selected sites in both countries. The project intends to develop a new generation of hydrogeological and groundwater resource maps with descriptive effectiveness and consistency with field survey data. The project will promote improvements of technologies in hydrogeological survey and mapping of the two countries and might even be agreed at a wider international level. Chinese and Italian hydrogeological guidelines have similar aspects as well as concerns: 1) the undertaking of field surveys at the 1:50,000 scale and more detailed (1:25000) scale; 2) building of a hydrogeological database; 3) publication of the official map in both paper and electronic form; 4) inclusion of several small scale maps inlayed at the margin of a main map in the hydrogeological map layout; 5) comparable level in required survey quota. Furthermore, more attention will be paid to a 3D map, conceptual model, aquifer structure, groundwater cycle and hydrogeological parameter description.In contrast, the most important difference regards the following. The hydrogeological mapping guidelines of Italy have integrated specifications for both survey and mapping, i.e. they deal with a structural layout characterized by survey contents followed by mapping contents and reflect a technical route of surveying for mapping. In contrast, there are no mapping contents in the current hydrogeological guidelines of China and these then needed to be formulated. The Italian guidelines could provide important references for China in legend organization, mapping rules, survey quota and so on.Finally, the collaboration between China and Italy is of great significance for the two ancient civilized countries sharing the “One Belt and One Road” international initiative. </p

Overexpression of leptin receptor predicts an unfavorable outcome in Middle Eastern ovarian cancer

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

Study on Task Offloading Algorithm for Internet of Vehicles on Highway Based on 5G MillimeterWave Communication

With the rapid development of the Internet of vehicles,the emerging new types of in-vehicle tasks put forward higher requirements for communication and computing capabilities.The development of satellite communication technology and the large-scale deployment of 5G millimeter-wave base stations provide safer and more reliable services for highway vehicle users.At the same time,mobile edge computing technology deploys mobile edge computing(MEC) servers with computing and storage capabi-lities around user terminals to provide computing services for on-board tasks while reducing transmission delays.Aiming at the problem of offloading decision-making and communication resource allocation of vehicle tasks in highway scenarios,the joint optimization problem of computing and communication resources is modeled as a 0-1 mixed integer linear programming problem.Firstly,the original optimization problem is decoupled into the resource block allocation sub-problem and the offloading decision sub-problem.Secondly,the sub-problems are solved by using the water injection algorithm and the particle swarm algorithm.Finally,the sub-problems are iteratively solved based on the heuristic algorithm to obtain the optimal resource block allocation scheme and offload decision vector.Simulation results show that the algorithm minimizes the average system delay while meeting the requirements of all on-board missions

Tuning the Framework Formation of Silver(I) Coordination Architectures with Heterocyclic Thioethers

The reactions of a series of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic thioether ligands, 2,2Ј-[methylenebis (thio) , with silver() nitrate or silver() perchlorate salt led to the formation of five new metal-organic supramolecular architectures from dinuclear to threedimensional structures. All the structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In the crystal structures of the five complexes, a variety of coordination modes of Ag I have been observed, probably due to the variation of the chain length of the linker unit or the terminal groups as well as the counter anions, which indicates that the nature of the ligands is a determining factor in controlling the structural topologies of such metal-organic supramolecular architectures. Geometrical effects seem to be more important than electronic effects in these systems, leading the Ag I centre to prefer to coordinate to N donors first rather than S donors despite Ag I being a &apos;soft&apos; metal

Targeting the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) in breast cancer

Breast cancer has a high occurrence rate globally and its treatment has demonstrated clinical efficacy with the use of systemic chemotherapy and immune checkpoint blockade. Insufficient cytotoxic T lymphocyte infiltration and the accumulation of immunosuppressive cells within tumours are the primary factors responsible for the inadequate clinical effectiveness of breast cancer treatment. The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) represents a pivotal protein in the innate immune response. Upon activation, STING triggers the activation and enhancement of innate and adaptive immune functions, resulting in therapeutic benefits for malignant tumours. The STING signalling pathway in breast cancer is influenced by various factors such as deoxyribonucleic acid damage response, tumour immune microenvironment, and mitochondrial function. The use of STING agonists is gaining momentum in breast cancer research. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase-STING pathway, its agonists, and the latest findings related to their application in breast cancer

Substrate Elastic Modulus Regulates the Morphology, Focal Adhesions, and alpha-Smooth Muscle Actin Expression of Retinal Muller Cells

PURPOSE. The stiffness of the extracellular matrix has been shown to regulate cell adhesion, migration, and transdifferentiation in fibrotic processes. Retinal Muller cells have been shown to be mechanosensitive; they are involved in fibrotic vitreoretinal diseases. Since fibrosis increases the rigidity of the extracellular matrix, our aim was to develop an in vitro model for studying Muller cell morphology and differentiation state in relation to matrix stiffness. METHODS. A spontaneously immortalized human Muller cell line (MIO-M1) was cultured on type I collagen-coated polyacrylamide gels with Young's moduli ranging from 2 to 92 kPa. Cell surface area, focal adhesion, and the expression and morphology of alpha-smooth muscle actin induced by transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta [10 ng/mL for 48 hours]) were analyzed by immunocytology. The images were documented by using fluorescence microscopy and confocal scanning laser microscopy. RESULTS. MIO-M1 cells cultured on stiff substrates exhibited a significant increase in cell surface area, stress fiber, and mature focal adhesion formation. Furthermore, Muller cells treated with TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 and cultured on stiff substrates showed an increased incorporation of alpha-smooth muscle actin into stress fibers when compared to those grown on soft surfaces. CONCLUSIONS. Compliance of the surrounding matrix seems to influence the morphology and contraction of retinal Muller cells in fibrotic conditions. Development of an in vitro model simulating both the normally compliant retinal tissue and the rigid retinal fibrotic tissue helps fill the gap between the results of petri-dish cell culture with rigid surfaces and in vivo findings

Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Idiopathic Epiretinal Membranes and In Vitro Studies on the Effect of TGF-beta on Müller Cells

PURPOSE. The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of type VI collagen and glial cells in idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM) and the role of TGF-beta in the expression of collagens and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) in retinal Muller cells. METHODS. Idiopathic ERM samples from vitrectomy were analyzed for glial acidic fibrillary protein (GFAP), cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP), alpha-SMA, and type VI collagen using flat-mount immunohistochemistry. To study intracellular collagen expression in relation to cellular phenotype, spontaneously immortalized human Muller cells (MIO-M1) were treated with TGF-beta 1 for 48 hours, and the expression of alpha-SMA and intracellular type I, II, IV, and VI collagens was studied by using immunocytology. Findings in Muller cells were compared with those in fetal lung fibroblasts and newborn skin fibroblasts. RESULTS. A colocalization of GFAP/CRALBP and GFAP/alpha-SMA was found in iERM, indicating a dynamic process of activation of retinal Muller cells in vivo. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 induced up-regulation of alpha-SMA stress fibers in retinal Muller cells and both types of fibroblasts in vitro. The intracellular staining intensity of type I, II, and VI collagens was decreased in retinal Muller cells containing alpha-SMA stress fibers, whereas the intracellular staining intensity of type I and VI collagens in both types of fibroblasts was not affected. CONCLUSIONS. Type VI collagen and activated retinal Muller cells are present in iERM. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 induces an up-regulation of alpha-SMA stress fibers in retinal Muller cells and fibroblasts and appears to have a cell-specific effect on intracellular collagen expression