Novel Intuitionistic Based Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Similarity Measures with Application to Clustering

Similarity measures have been widely used in applications dealing with reasoning, classification and information retrieval. In this paper, we first propose three new Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Similarity measures (IT-2 FSMs) as a dual concept of some semi-metric distances between Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets (IFSs). We also prove that the extended IT-2 FSMs satisfy many common properties (i.e. reflexivity, transivity, symmetry and overlapping). Experiments are carried out on a variety of datasets including UCI Learning Machine and real data. Comparative studies between the proposed IT-2 FSMs and the other well-known existing similarity measures (Gorzalczany, Bustince, Mitchell, Zeng and Li as well as VSM and Jaccard) are performed. Obviously, the best results are obtained with the IT-2 FSMs being resilient to the high levels of uncertainty noise. We also prove that our IT-2 FSMs can overcome the drawbacks of some existing similarity measures based on the accuracy rate measure. In addition, the proposed IT-2 FSMs are joined with Fuzzy cmeans algorithm as a clustering method and the proposed system is compared against the existing clustering algorithms (Type- 1 Fuzzy k-means, Type-1 and Type-2 Fuzzy c-means, Cluster Forest, Bagged Clustering, Evidence Accumulation and Random Projection). Relying on the clustering quality parameters R and C (equivalent to the standard classification accuracy), the advanced IT-2FSMs show higher classification accuracy of about 86% which outperforms nearly the other classifiers

AEO-7 surfactant is “super toxic” and induces severe cardiac, liver and locomotion damage in zebrafish embryos

© 2020, The Author(s). Background: Fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether-7 (AEO-7), a non-ionic surfactant, has recently been receiving extensive attention from the ocean pipeline industry for its ability to inhibit corrosion. However, the present lack of information concerning the potential environmental toxicity of AEO-7, especially towards aquatic organisms, is a major impediment to its wider application. Here, we assess potential adverse effects of AEO-7 on zebrafish embryos employing a variety of assays, including (i) a mortality/survival assay which allowed the median lethal concentration (LC50) to be calculated; (ii) a teratogenicity assay on the basis of which the no observed effect concentration (NOEC) was determined; and (iii) specific assays of cardiotoxicity, neurotoxicity (based on locomotion), hematopoietic toxicity (the level of hemoglobin as revealed by o-dianisidine staining) and hepatotoxicity (liver steatosis and yolk retention examined by staining with Oil Red O). Results: AEO-7 caused mortality with a calculated LC50 of 15.35 μg/L, which, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Acute Toxicity Rating scale, should be considered “super toxic”. Although at its NOEC (0.8 μg/L), there were no signs of significant teratogenicity, cardiotoxicity, or hemopoiesis toxicity, 3.2 µg/L AEO-7 exerted dramatic detrimental effects on organ development. Conclusion: On the basis of these findings, we recommend that the industrial usage and environmental impact of AEO-7 be re-evaluated and strictly monitored by environmental and public health organizations

Cross-cultural comparison of mental illness stigma and help-seeking attitudes: a multinational population-based study from 16 Arab countries and 10,036 individuals

BackgroundThere is evidence that culture deeply affects beliefs about mental illnesses\u27 causes, treatment, and help-seeking. We aimed to explore and compare knowledge, attitudes toward mental illness and help-seeking, causal attributions, and help-seeking recommendations for mental illnesses across various Arab countries and investigate factors related to attitudes toward help-seeking.MethodsWe carried out a multinational cross-sectional study using online self-administered surveys in the Arabic language from June to November 2021 across 16 Arab countries among participants from the general public.ResultsMore than one in four individuals exhibited stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness (26.5%), had poor knowledge (31.7%), and hold negative attitudes toward help-seeking (28.0%). ANOVA tests revealed a significant difference between countries regarding attitudes (F = 194.8, p \u3c .001), knowledge (F = 88.7, p \u3c .001), and help-seeking attitudes (F = 32.4, p \u3c .001). Three multivariate regression analysis models were performed for overall sample, as well as Palestinian and Sudanese samples that displayed the lowest and highest ATSPPH-SF scores, respectively. In the overall sample, being female, older, having higher knowledge and more positive attitudes toward mental illness, and endorsing biomedical and psychosocial causations were associated with more favorable help-seeking attitudes; whereas having a family psychiatric history and endorsing religious/supernatural causations were associated with more negative help-seeking attitudes. The same results have been found in the Palestinian sample, while only stigma dimensions helped predict help-seeking attitudes in Sudanese participants.ConclusionInterventions aiming at improving help-seeking attitudes and behaviors and promoting early access to care need to be culturally tailored, and congruent with public beliefs about mental illnesses and their causations

Effect of Gamma Irradiation on Enhanced Biological Activities of Exopolysaccharide from Halomonas desertis G11: Biochemical and Genomic Insights

In this work, a native exopolysaccharide (nEPS) produced by Halomonas desertis G11 isolated from a Tunisian extreme environment was modified by gamma irradiation. Characterization as well as the antioxidant and antitumor activities of nEPS and its gamma-irradiated derivatives (iEPSs) were comparatively evaluated. In vitro and in vivo antioxidant potentials were determined by using different methods and through different antioxidant enzymes. The antitumor activity was checked against a human colon cancer cell line. Analyses of the complete genome sequence were carried out to identify genes implicated in the production of nEPS. Thus, the genomic biosynthesis pathway and the export mechanism of nEPS were proposed. Analyses of irradiation data showed that iEPSs acquired new functional groups, lower molecular weights, and gained significantly (p < 0.05) higher antioxidant and antitumor abilities compared with nEPS. These findings provide a basis for using iEPSs as novel pharmaceutical agents for human therapies

A spinal cord compression syndrome revealing neurofibromatosis type 1: A case report

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), formerly known as von Recklinghausen disease is an autosomal dominant disease with multisystem involvement. In the peripheral nervous system, it leads to the development of benign tumors from the tissue of the spinal or cranial nerve sheaths, known as “neurofibromas.” We report the case of a 40-year-old patient with spinal cord compression syndrome in whom spinal MRI revealed cervical, dorsal and lumbosacral neurofibromas revealing neurofibromatosis type 1

Oligogenic Inheritance Underlying Incomplete Penetrance of PROKR2 Mutations in Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism

International audienceThe role of the prokineticin 2 pathway in human reproduction, olfactory bulb morphogenesis, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion is well established. Recent studies have highlighted the implication of di/oligogenic inheritance in this disorder. In the present study, we aimed to identify the genetic mechanisms that could explain incomplete penetrance in hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH). This study involved two unrelated Tunisian patients with HH, which was triggered by identifying a homozygous p.(Pro290Ser) mutation in the PROKR2 gene in a girl (HH1) with Kallmann syndrome (KS). The functional effect of this variant has previously been well demonstrated. Unexpectedly, her unaffected father (HH1P) and brother (HH1F) also carried this genetic variation at a homozygous state. In the second family, we identified a heterozygous p.(Lys205del) mutation in PROKR2 , both in a male patient with normosmic idiopathic IHH (HH12) and his asymptomatic mother. Whole-exome sequencing in the three HH1 family members allowed the identification of additional variants in the prioritized genes. We then carried out digenic combination predictions using the oligogenic resource for variant analysis (ORVAL) software. For HH1, we found the highest number of disease-causing variant pairs. Notably, a CCDC141 variant (c.2803C > T) was involved in 18 pathogenic digenic combinations. The CCDC141 variant acts in an autosomal recessive inheritance mode, based on the digenic effect prediction data. For the second patient (HH12), prediction by ORVAL allowed the identification of an interesting pathogenic digenic combination between DUSP6 and SEMA7A genes, predicted as “dual molecular diagnosis.” The SEMA7A variant p.(Glu436Lys) is novel and predicted as a VUS by Varsome. Sanger validation revealed the absence of this variant in the healthy mother. We hypothesize that disease expression in HH12 could be induced by the digenic transmission of the SEMA7A and DUSP6 variants or a monogenic inheritance involving only the SEMA7A VUS if further functional assays allow its reclassification into pathogenic. Our findings confirm that homozygous loss-of-function genetic variations are insufficient to cause KS, and that oligogenism is most likely the main transmission mode involved in Congenital Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism

Radiation Therapy Delivery Challenges in Older Patients During Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

Purpose: The management of older patients in radiation therapy (RT) departments has been challenging in the context of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. We report our experience of RT adapted schedules or strategy changes in older patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods and Materials: Patients aged ≥75 years were recruited during weekly chart rounds. All were potentially eligible for a specific intervention to reduce the frequency of patients’ visits to the hospital. The effect of deferring radiation and hypofractionation of RT schedules was assessed in terms of the number of courses initially planned and replanned during the lockdown. Results: Twenty patients were identified during the official lockdown in France (March 17 to May 11). Median age was 78 years (75-95 years). Most patients were male (n = 12, 60%) being treated in the postoperative setting (n = 17, 85%). RT was delayed in 11 cases (55%) with hormonal therapy prescribed in 10 cases (50%). Altered RT fractionation was proposed for 5 cases (25%); combinations of altered fractionation and deferral of radiation were applied in 3 cases (15%). The number of radiation courses initially planned and replanned according to the pandemic context: 563 and 197, respectively (−62%; P < .001). None presented recurrence when RT was initiated, and no patient developed symptomatic COVID-19 infection. Conclusions: In the context of the COVID-19 outbreak, individual risk-based radiation therapy seems to be safe. Systematic screening of patients for COVID-19 before starting radiation therapy is mandatory. In our department the oncogeriatrics expertise availability for daily practice was of great use during the pandemic. Other prospective studies are needed to validate such strategies in case of resurgence of similar outbreaks