DETECTION AND SEGMENTATION OF OPTIC DISC IN FUNDUS IMAGES

Objective: Image processing technique is utilized in the medical field widely nowadays. Hence, therefore, this technique is used to extract the different features like blood vessels, optic disk, macula, fovea etc. automatically of the retinal image of eye.Methods: This paper presents a simple and fast algorithm using Mathematical Morphology to find the fovea of fundus retinal image. The image for analysis is obtained from the DRIVE database. Also, this paper is enhanced to detect the Diabetic Retinopathy disease occurring in the eye.Results: Detection of optic disc boundary becomes important for the diagnosis of glaucoma. The iterative curve evolution was stopped at the image boundaries where the energy was minimum.Conclusion: The changes in the shape and size of the optic disc can be used to detect glaucoma and also cup ratio can be used as a measure of glaucoma

AUTOMATIC DETECTION OF DIABETIC RETINOPATHY THROUGH OPTIC DISC USING MORPHOLOGICAL METHODS

This paper proposes a method for the automatic detection of optic disc in retinal images. In the diagnosis and grading, the essential step is recognition of optic disk for diabetic retinopathy. The analysis of directional cross section profile focused on the local maximum pixel of pre-processed image is realized by the proposed method using optic disc detection. Each profile is implemented by peak detection and property like shape, size and height of the peak are estimated. The statistical measure of the estimated values for the attributes, where the orientation of the cross-section changes the constitute feature used in morphological classification to exclude encourages candidates. The result is to find the patient is affected by diabetics or not.Keywords: Diabetic retinopathy, Optic disk, Naives Bayes algorithm, Local maximum region

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY Temperature Induction Response as a Screening Technique for Selecting High Temperature-Tolerant Cotton Lines

ABSTRACT Cotton is cultivated in a wide range of environments from tropical to subtropical regions. In India, approximately 70%of the total land area covered by cotton is grown under rain-fed conditions where cotton frequently experiences drought stress along with other stresses, e.g.,high temperature and high salinity. There is a need to develop a technique to screen a large number of genotypes for high temperature tolerance. In this study, a screening protocol was developed based on the principle of "acquired tolerance" in which exposure of seedlings to a sublethal level of specific stress is used to induce tolerance to a subsequent lethal level of stress. After adapting this temperature induction response (TIR) technique to cotton, several species and varieties were screened for thermotolerance. Among the tested entries, Old World cotton species showed better thermotolerance than New World cotton species. Among 36 diverse Gossypium hirsutum germplasm lines, significant variation in acquired thermotolerance was seen. Thermotolerant genotype G. hirsutum (H-28), identified by the TIR technique, demonstrated increased cell viability and protein synthesis capacity during alleviation from high temperature stress. Results suggested that TIR is a robust and powerful technique and can be used to screen breeding lines or germplasms to identify thermotolerant lines

Weak acids as an alternative anti-microbial therapy

Weak acids such as acetic acid and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) at pH less than their pKa can effectively eradicate biofilms due to their ability to penetrate the biofilm matrix and the cell membrane. However, the optimum conditions for their activity against drug resistant strains, and safety, need to be understood for their application to treat infections or to inactivate biofilms on hard surfaces. Here, we investigate the efficacy and optimum conditions at which weak acids can eradicate biofilms. We compared the efficacy of various mono and triprotic weak acids such as N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), acetic acid, formic acid and citric acid, in eradicating biofilms. We found that monoprotic weak acids/acid drugs can kill mucoid P. aeruginosa mucA biofilm bacteria provided the pH is less than their pKa, demonstrating that the extracellular biofilm matrix does not protect the bacteria from the activity of the weak acids. Triprotic acids, such as citric acid, kill biofilm bacteria at pH ​< ​pKa1. However, at a pH between pKa1 and pKa2, citric acid is effective in killing the bacteria at the core of biofilm microcolonies but does not kill the bacteria on the periphery. The efficacy of a monoprotic weak acid (NAC) and triprotic weak acid (citric acid) were tested on biofilms formed by Klebsiella pneumoniae KP1, Pseudomonas putida OUS82, Staphylococcus aureus 15981, P. aeruginosa DK1-NH57388A, a mucoid cystic fibrosis isolate and P. aeruginosa PA_D25, an antibiotic resistant strain. We showed that weak acids have a broad spectrum of activity against a wide range of bacteria, including antibiotic resistant bacteria. Further, we showed that a weak acid drug, NAC, can kill bacteria without being toxic to human cells, if its pH is maintained close to its pKa. Thus weak acids/weak acid drugs target antibiotic resistant bacteria and eradicate the persister cells in biofilms which are tolerant to other conventional methods of biofilm eradication

Field application of a genetically engineered microorganism for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon bioremediation process monitoring and control

On October 30, 1996, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) commenced the first test release of genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs) for use in bioremediation. The specific objectives of the investigation were multifaceted and include (1) testing the hypothesis that a GEM can be successfully introduced and maintained in a bioremediation process, (2) testing the concept of using, at the field scale, reporter organisms for direct bioremediation process monitoring and control, and (3) acquiring data that can be used in risk assessment decision making and protocol development for future field release applications of GEMs. The genetically engineered strain under investigation is Pseudomonas fluorescens strain HK44 (King et al., 1990). The original P. fluorescens parent strain was isolated from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contaminated manufactured gas plant soil. Thus, this bacterium is able to biodegrade naphthalene (as well as other substituted naphthalenes and other PAHs) and is able to function as a living bioluminescent reporter for the presence of naphthalene contamination, its bioavailability, and the functional process of biodegradation. A unique component of this field investigation was the availability of an array of large subsurface soil lysimeters. This article describes the experience associated with the release of a genetically modified microorganism, the lysimeter facility and its associated instrumentation, as well as representative data collected during the first eighteen months of operation

Impact of severity, duration, and etiology of hyperthyroidism on bone turnover markers and bone mineral density in men

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hyperthyroidism is accompanied by osteoporosis with higher incidence of fracture rates. The present work aimed to study bone status in hyperthyroidism and to elucidate the impact of severity, duration, and etiology of hyperthyroidism on biochemical markers of bone turnover and bone mineral density (BMD).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fifty-two male patients with hyperthyroidism, 31 with Graves' disease (GD) and 21 with toxic multinodular goiter (TNG), with an age ranging from 23 to 65 years were included, together with 25 healthy euthyroid men with matched age as a control group. In addition to full clinical examination, patients and controls were subjected to measurement of BMD using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometery scanning of the lower half of the left radius. Also, some biochemical markers of bone turnover were done for all patients and controls.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Biochemical markers of bone turnover: included serum bone specific alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, carboxy terminal telopeptide of type l collagen also, urinary deoxypyridinoline cross-links (DXP), urinary DXP/urinary creatinine ratio and urinary calcium/urinary creatinine ratio were significantly higher in patients with GD and TNG compared to controls (P < 0.01). However, there was non-significant difference in these parameters between GD and TNG patients (P > 0.05). BMD was significantly lower in GD and TNG compared to controls, but the Z-score of BMD at the lower half of the left radius in patients with GD (-1.7 ± 0.5 SD) was not significantly different from those with TNG (-1.6 ± 0.6 SD) (>0.05). There was significant positive correlation between free T3 and free T4 with biochemical markers of bone turnover, but negative correlation between TSH and those biochemical markers of bone turnover. The duration of the thyrotoxic state positively correlated with the assessed bone turnover markers, but it is negatively correlated with the Z-score of BMD in the studied hyperthyroid patients (r = -0.68, P < 0.0001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Men with hyperthyroidism have significant bone loss with higher biochemical markers of bone turnover. The severity and the duration of the thyrotoxic state are directly related to the derangement of biochemical markers of bone turnover and bone loss.</p

Combined use of expression and CGH arrays pinpoints novel candidate genes in Ewing sarcoma family of tumors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ewing sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT), characterized by t(11;22)(q24;q12), is one of the most common tumors of bone in children and young adults. In addition to <it>EWS/FLI1 </it>gene fusion, copy number changes are known to be significant for the underlying neoplastic development of ESFT and for patient outcome. Our genome-wide high-resolution analysis aspired to pinpoint genomic regions of highest interest and possible target genes in these areas.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and expression arrays were used to screen for copy number alterations and expression changes in ESFT patient samples. A total of 31 ESFT samples were analyzed by aCGH and in 16 patients DNA and RNA level data, created by expression arrays, was integrated. Time of the follow-up of these patients was 5–192 months. Clinical outcome was statistically evaluated by Kaplan-Meier/Logrank methods and RT-PCR was applied on 42 patient samples to study the gene of the highest interest.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Copy number changes were detected in 87% of the cases. The most recurrent copy number changes were gains at 1q, 2, 8, and 12, and losses at 9p and 16q. Cumulative event free survival (ESFT) and overall survival (OS) were significantly better (P < 0.05) for primary tumors with three or less copy number changes than for tumors with higher number of copy number aberrations. In three samples copy number imbalances were detected in chromosomes 11 and 22 affecting the <it>FLI1 </it>and <it>EWSR1 </it>loci, suggesting that an unbalanced t(11;22) and subsequent duplication of the derivative chromosome harboring fusion gene is a common event in ESFT. Further, amplifications on chromosomes 20 and 22 seen in one patient sample suggest a novel translocation type between <it>EWSR1 </it>and an unidentified fusion partner at 20q. In total 20 novel ESFT associated putative oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes were found in the integration analysis of array CGH and expression data. Quantitative RT-PCR to study the expression levels of the most interesting gene, <it>HDGF</it>, confirmed that its expression was higher than in control samples. However, no association between <it>HDGF </it>expression and patient survival was observed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We conclude that array CGH and integration analysis proved to be effective methods to identify chromosome regions and novel target genes involved in the tumorigenesis of ESFT.</p

Molecular profiling of cervical cancer progression

Most cancer patients die of metastatic or recurrent disease, hence the importance to identify target genes upregulated in these lesions. Although a variety of gene signatures associated with metastasis or poor prognosis have been identified in various cancer types, it remains a critical problem to identify key genes as candidate therapeutic targets in metastatic or recurrent cancer. The aim of our study was to identify genes consistently upregulated in both lymph node micrometastases and recurrent tumours compared to matched primary tumours in human cervical cancer. Taqman Low-Density Arrays were used to analyse matched tumour samples, obtained after laser-capture microdissection of tumour cell islands for the expression of 96 genes known to be involved in tumour progression. Immunohistochemistry was performed for a panel of up- and downregulated genes. In lymph node micrometastases, most genes were downregulated or showed expressions equal to the levels found in primary tumours. In more than 50% of lymph node micrometastases studied, eight genes (AKT, BCL2, CSFR1, EGFR1, FGF1, MMP3, MMP9 and TGF-β) were upregulated at least two-fold. Some of these genes (AKT and MMP3) are key regulators of epithelial–mesenchymal transition in cancer. In recurrent tumours, almost all genes were upregulated when compared to the expression profiles of the matched primary tumours, possibly reflecting their aggressive biological behaviour. The two genes showing a consistent downregulated expression in almost all lymph node metastases and recurrent tumours were BAX and APC. As treatment strategies are very limited for metastatic and recurrent cervical cancer, the upregulated genes identified in this study are potential targets for new molecular treatment strategies in metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer