A Survey on Automated Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease Using Optical Coherence Tomography and Angiography

Retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) are promising tools for the (early) diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). These non-invasive imaging techniques are cost-effective and more accessible than alternative neuroimaging tools. However, interpreting and classifying multi-slice scans produced by OCT devices is time-consuming and challenging even for trained practitioners. There are surveys on machine learning and deep learning approaches concerning the automated analysis of OCT scans for various diseases such as glaucoma. However, the current literature lacks an extensive survey on the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or cognitive impairment using OCT or OCTA. This has motivated us to do a comprehensive survey aimed at machine/deep learning scientists or practitioners who require an introduction to the problem. The paper contains 1) an introduction to the medical background of Alzheimer's Disease and Cognitive Impairment and their diagnosis using OCT and OCTA imaging modalities, 2) a review of various technical proposals for the problem and the sub-problems from an automated analysis perspective, 3) a systematic review of the recent deep learning studies and available OCT/OCTA datasets directly aimed at the diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease and Cognitive Impairment. For the latter, we used Publish or Perish Software to search for the relevant studies from various sources such as Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. We followed the PRISMA approach to screen an initial pool of 3073 references and determined ten relevant studies (N=10, out of 3073) that directly targeted AD diagnosis. We identified the lack of open OCT/OCTA datasets (about Alzheimer's disease) as the main issue that is impeding the progress in the field.Comment: Submitted to Computerized Medical Imaging and Graphics. Concept, methodology, invest, data curation, and writing org.draft by Yasemin Turkan. Concept, method, writing review editing, and supervision by F. Boray Te

Investigating the Effect of Drugs of Chloramphenicol and Gentamicin on Acanthamoeba genotype T3 Causing keratitis Isolated from Environmental samples in vitro

هذه الدراسة هي تحري عن مدى تاثير بعض الادوية على بعض انماط الاكانثاميبا الممرضة المعزولة من المياه العراقية , وذلك لان مشكلة التكيف البيئي الذي يمتاز بها هذا الكائن اضافة الى كونه مستودعا لكثير من الاحياء المجهرية الممرضة التي تحتمي في داخله هربا من المطهرات والادوية يصعب احيانا علاجها بالعلاجات التقليدية . اذ تم جمع نماذج المياه من مناطق مائية مختلفة في العراق وهي بحيرة دوكان ونهر دجلة ونهر الفرات وبحر النجف بواقع 5 نموذج من كل مصدر . وتم عزل الاكانثاميبا من نماذج المياه على اوساط NNA و PYG . استخدم المجهر المقلوب والمجهر الالكتروني لغرض تحديد معالمها المظهرية , كما استخدم تقنية  PCRوSequencing لتحديد نمطها الوراثي , انتمت العزلات الى النمط الوراثي  T3 المتسببة بالالتهابات القرنية  . بعد ذلك ,  تم علاجها في المختبر باستخدام نوعان من الادوية وهما الـ Chloramphenicol و الـ Gentamicin بثلاث تراكيز مختلفة وهي 0.1 % ,0.3  % و 0.6 % وقورنت كفائتهما التثبيطية مع بعضهما و مع السيطرة الموجبة المتمثلة بعقار الكلورهيكسيدين بتركيز  % 0.2 الموصى به في علاج التهاب القرنية الشوكميبي ,  حيث أظهرت النتائج ان كلا الدواءان لهما تأثير تثبيطي  في نمو الاكانثاميبا. , وان دواء الكلورامفينيكول له تاثير اقوى في تثبيط نمو الاكانثاميبا مقارنة بدواء الجنتاميسين وعقار الكلورهيكسيدين , و انه من الممكن عند استخدامه بتركيز معين ان يكون دواءا بديلا في علاج التهاب القرنية الشوكميبي .This study is an investigation of the drugs effect on some pathogenic Acanthamoeba isolated from Iraqi waters, where the problem of environmental adaptation that characterizes this organism in addition to being a reservoir for many pathogenic microorganisms that take shelter in it to escape disinfectants and medicines is sometimes difficult to treat it with traditional treatments.  Twenty water samples were collected from different water regions in Iraq, namely the Dokan Lake, Tigris River, Euphrates River and Najaf Sea, 5 samples from each source.  Acanthamoeba was isolated from water samples on NNA and PYG media, using an inverted microscope with an electron microscope to determine their phenotypic features. PCR and Sequencing were also used to determine their genotype. The isolates were belonged to the T3 genotype that causes corneal infections. Then two types of drugs were used to treat it, which were Chloramphenicol and Gentamicin at three different concentrations, 0.1%, 0.3% and 0.6% and their inhibitory effect was compared with each other and with the positive control of the Chlorohexidine drug at a concentration of 0.2% which was recommended to treat Acanthamoeba keratitis. The results showed that both drugs have an inhibitory effect against Acanthamoeba growth, and that the chloramphenicol had more effect to inhibit compared with gentamicin and chlorhexidine, and it can be used as an alternative treatment instead of chlorohexidine for treating Acanthamoeba keratitis

Tracking MEP installation works

Previous research has shown that "Scan-vs-BIM" systems are powerful to provide valuable information for tracking structural works (progress, quality, safety). However, the transferability of this capability to other construction areas such as MEP works has not been assessed so far. Comparatively, the construction of MEP systems, in particular pipes and ducts, tends to be more flexible with respect to the positioning of individual components, so that Scan-vs-BIM systems could be defeated when tracking MEP installation works. This paper presents recent results on the feasibility and performance of using a Scan-vs-BIM system to track MEP works. The approach followed is presented and then tested with two real-life challenging case studies were conducted simultaneously but totally independently in Canada and Italy. The results show that, as expected, pipes and ducts tend to be more loosely positioned than structural elements leading to a poorer performance of the Scan-vs-BIM system. Nonetheless, it appears that the system works well to assess the level of conformance of site installation works, providing valuable information for estimating emerging performance metrics like "percent built as-designed". In addition, the proposed system could also be useful to accelerate and thus reduce the cost of delivering as-built BIM models for in the case of new builds

Razrada popisa kriterija za odabir 3D virtualnih svjetova i izradu obrazovnog okruženja

The purpose of this study was to develop a criteria list to be considered during the selection of 3D virtual world platforms for educational purposes. As the first step in this process a draft list was created by the researchers based on literature review and heuristic investigation. The draft list was reviewed and revised by 2 internal and 4 external experts, and then used as a questionnaire. The items in the finalized criteria list were divided into three categories as follows: 50 items of technical specifications (system/program features, usability, software tools, multimedia tools, security, and cost), 21 items of interaction specifications (avatars, activities, communication tools) and 8 items of educational specifications (teaching/learning activities). Ultimately, the developed criteria list will be helpful for identifying and eliminating the deficiencies and constraints of virtual worlds used for educational purposes.Svrha ovog istraživanja bila je razrada popisa kriterija koje treba uzeti u obzir prilikom odabira 3D virtualnih platformi u obrazovne svrhe. U tom su procesu znanstvenici najprije sastavili nacrt kriterija na osnovi proučene literature i heurističkog istraživanja. Dva naša i četiri vanjska stručnjaka pregledala su i napisala osvrt na nacrt kriterija koji se zatim koristio u obliku upitnika. Završni popis kriterija podijeljen je u sljedeće tri kategorije: 50 tehničkih kriterija (osobine sustava / programa, iskoristivost, softverski alati, multimedijski alati, sigurnost, cijena), 21 kriterij vezan uz interakciju (avatari, aktivnosti, komunikacijski alati) i 8 obrazovnih kriterija (aktivnosti poučavanja / učenja). Na kraju će razrađeni popis kriterija pomoći u utvrđivanju i uklanjanju nedostataka i ograničenja virtualnih svjetova koji se koriste u obrazovne svrhe

Description of Even-Even Xe isotopes in the transitional region of IBM

Properties of Xe isotopes isotopes are studied in the U(5)O(6) transitional region of Interacting Boson Model (IBM-1). The energy levels and B(E2)transition rates are calculated via the affine SU(1,1)Lie Algebra. The agreement with the most recent experimental is acceptable. The evaluated Hamiltonian control parameters suggest a spherical to (/gamma)-soft shape transition and propose the Xe(A=130)nucleus as the best candidate for the E(5)symmetry.Comment: 15 pages,3 figures. I have received an email from the BJPH editor (Prof.Luiz Nunes de Oliveira)which order me to resubmit the final version of paper and note that, paper will appear in Volume 43 of the Brazilian Journal of Physic

Hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic versus standard laparoscopic donor nephrectomy: HARP-trial

Contains fulltext : 88436.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: Transplantation is the only treatment offering long-term benefit to patients with chronic kidney failure. Live donor nephrectomy is performed on healthy individuals who do not receive direct therapeutic benefit of the procedure themselves. In order to guarantee the donor's safety, it is important to optimise the surgical approach. Recently we demonstrated the benefit of laparoscopic nephrectomy experienced by the donor. However, this method is characterised by higher in hospital costs, longer operating times and it requires a well-trained surgeon. The hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic technique may be an alternative to a complete laparoscopic, transperitoneal approach. The peritoneum remains intact and the risk of visceral injuries is reduced. Hand-assistance results in a faster procedure and a significantly reduced operating time. The feasibility of this method has been demonstrated recently, but as to date there are no data available advocating the use of one technique above the other. METHODS/DESIGN: The HARP-trial is a multi-centre randomised controlled, single-blind trial. The study compares the hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic approach with standard laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. The objective is to determine the best approach for live donor nephrectomy to optimise donor's safety and comfort while reducing donation related costs. DISCUSSION: This study will contribute to the evidence on any benefits of hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic versus standard laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Dutch Trial Register NTR1433

A review of the international early recommendations for departments organization and cancer management priorities during the global COVID-19 pandemic: applicability in low- and middle-income countries.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new virus that has never been identified in humans before. COVID-19 caused at the time of writing of this article, 2.5 million cases of infections in 193 countries with 165,000 deaths, including two-third in Europe. In this context, Oncology Departments of the affected countries had to adapt quickly their health system care and establish new organizations and priorities. Thus, numerous recommendations and therapeutic options have been reported to optimize therapy delivery to patients with chronic disease and cancer. Obviously, while these cancer care recommendations are immediately applicable in Europe, they may not be applicable in certain emerging and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In this review, we aimed to summarize these international guidelines in accordance with cancer types, making a synthesis for daily practice to protect patients, staff and tailor anti-cancer therapy delivery taking into account patients/tumour criteria and tools availability. Thus, we will discuss their applicability in the LMICs with different organizations, limited means and different constraints

Predicting Important Residues and Interaction Pathways in Proteins Using Gaussian Network Model: Binding and Stability of HLA Proteins

A statistical thermodynamics approach is proposed to determine structurally and functionally important residues in native proteins that are involved in energy exchange with a ligand and other residues along an interaction pathway. The structure-function relationships, ligand binding and allosteric activities of ten structures of HLA Class I proteins of the immune system are studied by the Gaussian Network Model. Five of these models are associated with inflammatory rheumatic disease and the remaining five are properly functioning. In the Gaussian Network Model, the protein structures are modeled as an elastic network where the inter-residue interactions are harmonic. Important residues and the interaction pathways in the proteins are identified by focusing on the largest eigenvalue of the residue interaction matrix. Predicted important residues match those known from previous experimental and clinical work. Graph perturbation is used to determine the response of the important residues along the interaction pathway. Differences in response patterns of the two sets of proteins are identified and their relations to disease are discussed

The Physiology and Proteomics of Drought Tolerance in Maize: Early Stomatal Closure as a Cause of Lower Tolerance to Short-Term Dehydration?

Understanding the response of a crop to drought is the first step in the breeding of tolerant genotypes. In our study, two maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes with contrasting sensitivity to dehydration were subjected to moderate drought conditions. The subsequent analysis of their physiological parameters revealed a decreased stomatal conductance accompanied by a slighter decrease in the relative water content in the sensitive genotype. In contrast, the tolerant genotype maintained open stomata and active photosynthesis, even under dehydration conditions. Drought-induced changes in the leaf proteome were analyzed by two independent approaches, 2D gel electrophoresis and iTRAQ analysis, which provided compatible but only partially overlapping results. Drought caused the up-regulation of protective and stress-related proteins (mainly chaperones and dehydrins) in both genotypes. The differences in the levels of various detoxification proteins corresponded well with the observed changes in the activities of antioxidant enzymes. The number and levels of up-regulated protective proteins were generally lower in the sensitive genotype, implying a reduced level of proteosynthesis, which was also indicated by specific changes in the components of the translation machinery. Based on these results, we propose that the hypersensitive early stomatal closure in the sensitive genotype leads to the inhibition of photosynthesis and, subsequently, to a less efficient synthesis of the protective/detoxification proteins that are associated with drought tolerance

Predictors of enhancing human physical attractiveness: Data from 93 countries

People across the world and throughout history have gone to great lengths to enhance their physical appearance. Evolutionary psychologists and ethologists have largely attempted to explain this phenomenon via mating preferences and strategies. Here, we test one of the most popular evolutionary hypotheses for beauty-enhancing behaviors, drawn from mating market and parasite stress perspectives, in a large cross-cultural sample. We also test hypotheses drawn from other influential and non-mutually exclusive theoretical frameworks, from biosocial role theory to a cultural media perspective. Survey data from 93,158 human participants across 93 countries provide evidence that behaviors such as applying makeup or using other cosmetics, hair grooming, clothing style, caring for body hygiene, and exercising or following a specific diet for the specific purpose of improving ones physical attractiveness, are universal. Indeed, 99% of participants reported spending >10 min a day performing beauty-enhancing behaviors. The results largely support evolutionary hypotheses: more time was spent enhancing beauty by women (almost 4 h a day, on average) than by men (3.6 h a day), by the youngest participants (and contrary to predictions, also the oldest), by those with a relatively more severe history of infectious diseases, and by participants currently dating compared to those in established relationships. The strongest predictor of attractiveness-enhancing behaviors was social media usage. Other predictors, in order of effect size, included adhering to traditional gender roles, residing in countries with less gender equality, considering oneself as highly attractive or, conversely, highly unattractive, TV watching time, higher socioeconomic status, right-wing political beliefs, a lower level of education, and personal individualistic attitudes. This study provides novel insight into universal beauty-enhancing behaviors by unifying evolutionary theory with several other complementary perspectives