Automatic Segmentation of Brachial Artery based on Fuzzy C-Means Pixel Clustering from Ultrasound Images

Automatic extraction of brachial artery and measuring associated indices such as flow-mediated dilatation and Intima-media thickness are important for early detection of cardiovascular disease and other vascular endothelial malfunctions. In this paper, we propose the basic but important component of such decision-assisting medical software development – noise tolerant fully automatic segmentation of brachial artery from ultrasound images. Pixel clustering with Fuzzy C-Means algorithm in the quantization process is the key component of that segmentation with various image processing algorithms involved. This algorithm could be an alternative choice of segmentation process that can replace speckle noise-suffering edge detection procedures in this application domain

Induction of aphid resistance in tobacco by the cucumber mosaic virus CMV∆2b mutant is jasmonate-dependent.

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is vectored by aphids, including Myzus persicae. Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum 'Xanthi') plants infected with a mutant of the Fny strain of CMV (Fny-CMVΔ2b, which cannot express the CMV 2b protein) exhibit strong resistance against M. persicae, which is manifested by decreased survival and reproduction of aphids confined on the plants. Previously, we found that the Fny-CMV 1a replication protein elicits aphid resistance in plants infected with Fny-CMVΔ2b, whereas in plants infected with wild-type Fny-CMV this is counteracted by the CMV 2b protein, a counterdefence protein that, among other things, inhibits jasmonic acid (JA)-dependent immune signalling. We noted that in nontransformed cv. Petit Havana SR1 tobacco plants aphid resistance was not induced by Fny-CMVΔ2b, suggesting that not all tobacco varieties possess the factor(s) with which the 1a protein interacts. To determine if 1a protein-induced aphid resistance is JA-dependent in Xanthi tobacco, transgenic plants were made that expressed an RNA silencing construct to diminish expression of the JA co-receptor CORONATINE-INSENSITIVE 1. Fny-CMVΔ2b did not induce resistance to M. persicae in these transgenic plants. Thus, aphid resistance induction by the 1a protein requires JA-dependent defensive signalling, which is countered by the CMV 2b protein

A Case of Diabetic Neuropathy Combined with Guillain-Barre Syndrome

A 59-year-old man was admitted with numbness, pain, and a tingling sensation in both lower legs. He was initially diagnosed with diabetic peripheral neuropathy based on a symptom questionnaire and a quantitative sensory test. Despite symptomatic treatment of diabetic neuropathy, he complained of worsening sensory symptoms and additional motor weakness in both lower extremities. As the motor weakness of both extremities became more aggravated over time, brain and spine imaging tests and a nerve conduction test were performed. The nerve conduction study revealed motor and sensory axonal neuropathy. In his cerebrospinal analysis, albumino-cytologic dissociation, which is compatible to the Gillian-Barre syndrome, was found. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed albumino-cytologic dissociation. He was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin and his neurologic deficits were gradually improved

Syk/Src Pathway-Targeted Inhibition of Skin Inflammatory Responses by Carnosic Acid

Carnosic acid (CA) is a diterpene compound exhibiting antioxidative, anticancer, anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-metabolic disorder, and hepatoprotective and neuroprotective activities. In this study, the effect of CA on various skin inflammatory responses and its inhibitory mechanism were examined. CA strongly suppressed the production of IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 from keratinocyte HaCaT cells stimulated with sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and retinoic acid (RA). In addition, CA blocked the release of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) from RAW264.7 cells activated by the toll-like receptor (TLR)-2 ligands, Gram-positive bacterium-derived peptidoglycan (PGN) and pam3CSK, and the TLR4 ligand, Gram-negative bacterium-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS). CA arrested the growth of dermatitis-inducing Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms such Propionibacterium acnes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. CA also blocked the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB and its upstream signaling including Syk/Src, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, inhibitor of κBα (IκBα) kinase (IKK), and IκBα for NF-κB activation. Kinase assays revealed that Syk could be direct enzymatic target of CA in its anti-inflammatory action. Therefore, our data strongly suggest the potential of CA as an anti-inflammatory drug against skin inflammatory responses with Src/NF-κB inhibitory properties

Incidence of gestational trophoblastic disease in South Korea: a longitudinal, population-based study

Introduction We investigated the rate and longitudinal trends of gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) incidence in the Republic of Korea between 2009 and 2015 using population-based data. Materials and Methods Data of patients diagnosed with GTD from 2009 to 2015 were obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service/National Inpatient Sample (HIRA-NIS) in the Republic of Korea. The HIRA annually provides the HIRA-NIS, a collection of clinical data from over one million people. For each year, the HIRA-NIS extracted records of 13% of patients admitted at any one time during the year and 1% of all remaining patients using the weighted sample method. Results Medical records of 370,117 women with at least one pregnancy (GTD, ectopic pregnancy, abortion, or delivery) were extracted from a total of 4,476,495 records. Of these, 372 episodes of GTD were identified in women with a mean age of 35.4 ± 0.7 years. The incidence rate of GTD was 130 ± 10 cases per 100,000 pregnancies, which was classified as hydatidiform mole (HM), invasive mole, or malignant neoplasm of the placenta with incidence rates of 110 ± 10, 20 ± 0, or 10 ± 0 cases per 100,000 pregnancies, respectively. Incidence of GTD was lowest among women in their late 20 s and early 30 s. Occurrences of HM accounted for 80.3% all GTD cases. Weighted logistic analysis indicated that while age significantly affected the incidence of GTD (odds ratio (OR): 2.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.79–3.37]; P < 0.001), socioeconomic status did not (OR: 1.94; 95% CI [1.0–3.79]; P = 0.05). Conclusions In the Republic of Korea, we observed overall incidence rates of GTD and HM of 1.3 and 1.1 per 1,000 pregnancies, respectively, which are similar to those reported in recent Western population-based studies. We also noted that annual incidence rates of GTD stabilized from 2009 to 2015

Mainly Adrenal Gland Involving NK/T-Cell Nasal Type Lymphoma Diagnosed with Delay due to Mimicking Adrenal Hemorrhage

A 29-yr-old man, presented with abdominal pain and fever, had an initial computed tomography (CT) scan revealing low attenuation of both adrenal glands. The initial concern was for tuberculous adrenalitis or autoimmune adrenalitis combined with adrenal hemorrhage. The patient started empirical anti-tuberculous medication, but there was no improvement. Enlargement of cervical lymph nodes were developed after that and excisional biopsy of cervical lymph nodes was performed. Pathological finding of excised lymph nodes was compatible to NK/T-cell lymphoma. The patient died due to the progression of the disease even after undergoing therapeutic trials including chemotherapy. Lymphoma mainly involving adrenal gland in the early stage of the disease is rare and the vast majority of cases that have been reported were of B-cell origin. From this case it is suggested that extra-nodal NK/T-cell lymphoma should be considered as a cause of bilateral adrenal masses although it is rare

Large introns in relation to alternative splicing and gene evolution: a case study of Drosophila bruno-3

Background: Alternative splicing (AS) of maturing mRNA can generate structurally and functionally distinct transcripts from the same gene. Recent bioinformatic analyses of available genome databases inferred a positive correlation between intron length and AS. To study the interplay between intron length and AS empirically and in more detail, we analyzed the diversity of alternatively spliced transcripts (ASTs) in the Drosophila RNA-binding Bruno-3 (Bru-3) gene. This gene was known to encode thirteen exons separated by introns of diverse sizes, ranging from 71 to 41,973 nucleotides in D. melanogaster. Although Bru-3's structure is expected to be conducive to AS, only two ASTs of this gene were previously described. Results: Cloning of RT-PCR products of the entire ORF from four species representing three diverged Drosophila lineages provided an evolutionary perspective, high sensitivity, and long-range contiguity of splice choices currently unattainable by high-throughput methods. Consequently, we identified three new exons, a new exon fragment and thirty-three previously unknown ASTs of Bru-3. All exon-skipping events in the gene were mapped to the exons surrounded by introns of at least 800 nucleotides, whereas exons split by introns of less than 250 nucleotides were always spliced contiguously in mRNA. Cases of exon loss and creation during Bru-3 evolution in Drosophila were also localized within large introns. Notably, we identified a true de novo exon gain: exon 8 was created along the lineage of the obscura group from intronic sequence between cryptic splice sites conserved among all Drosophila species surveyed. Exon 8 was included in mature mRNA by the species representing all the major branches of the obscura group. To our knowledge, the origin of exon 8 is the first documented case of exonization of intronic sequence outside vertebrates. Conclusion: We found that large introns can promote AS via exon-skipping and exon turnover during evolution likely due to frequent errors in their removal from maturing mRNA. Large introns could be a reservoir of genetic diversity, because they have a greater number of mutable sites than short introns. Taken together, gene structure can constrain and/or promote gene evolution