AN AUTOMATED COMPUTER-AIDED DETECTION (CADe) AND DIAGNOSIS (CADx) SYSTEM FOR BREAST MICROCALCIFICATIONS IN MAMMOGRAMS

ABSTRACTAn automated computer aided diagnosis system has been proposed for detection of microcalcification (MC) clusters in mammograms. The proposed system is a whole system including suspicious regions identification, MCs detection, false positive reduction and benign/malign classification. For classification of suspicious microcalcification regions, a multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network was used with grey level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) and statistical features.  Then to decrease the false positive classification ratio, we used cascade correlation neural network (CCNN) with grey level run length matrix (GLRLM) features. In the last step, hybrid form of discriminant analysis and support vector machine (SVM) methods were used with GLRLM features for benign/malign classification of detected MC clusters. The open access Mammographic Image Analysis Society (MIAS) database was used for the study. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm obtained 86% sensitivity, 98.3% specificity and 1.163 FPpI rates for detection an for diagnosis of breast cancer, the obtained sensitivity and specificity values are 100% and 100% respectively. Despite the vision difficulty of MC clusters, the novel system provides very satisfactory results. Furthermore, the developed system is fully automatic whole system which gives outputs as percentages and transformed assessment categories. Keywords: Mammograms, Breast cancer, Computer aided diagnosis, Cascade correlation neural network (CCNN), Grey level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), Grey level run length matrix (GLRLM). 

Effects of verteporfin-mediated photodynamic therapy in breast cancer cells

560-566Photodynamic therapy works with a photosensitizer that is stimulated when exposed to a light source of a specific wavelength and produces a form of oxygen that can be used in cancer treatments. In this study, we investigated the effect of laser on apoptosis on breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231) treated with verteporfin in cell culture media. Verteporfin added MDA-MB-231 cells were incubated without light for 24 hours after applying laser light at a wavelength of 695 nm at an intensity of 50 J/cm2 at various times. Anti-proliferative effects were evaluated by immunoreactivity of anti-Bcl-2 and anti-Bax antibodies by immunocytochemical staining. When anti-Bax/Anti-Bcl-2 ratio are compared, the ratio of 1.5 in the control group cells decreases in short-term laser applications, while it approaches normal values in the 7th min after long-term laser application and reaches a very high value in the 9th min. Therefore, our results suggest that verteporfin-mediated PDT may be a potential combined therapy strategy against breast carcinoma by increasing apoptosis

Comparison of clay brick and pumice brick material from the radiological point

Bu çalışmada, konutların, okulların, iş yerlerinin ve fabrikaların inşaatında yapısal malzeme olarak kullanılan briket ve tuğla örnekleri radyolojik açıdan karşılaştırılmıştır. Bu çalışma, Türkiye'de ilk defa yapılan bir çalışmadır. Türkiye'nin farklı bölgelerinden temin edilen tuğla ve briket örneklerinde doğal olarak bulunan 226Ra, 232Th ve 40K'ın aktivite derişimleri, yüksek saflıklı germanyum dedektörlü gama-ışını spektrometresi kullanılarak ölçülmüştür.In this study, clay brick and pumice brick samples used as structural material in the construction of dwellings, schools, workplaces and factories were compared with each other from the radiological point of view. This is the first study performed in Turkey. The activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K naturally occurring in clay brick and pumice brick samples collected from different regions of Turkey were measured by using gamma-ray spectrometer with high purity germanium detector

Influence of ground perlite on the hydration and strength development of calcium aluminate cement mortars

© 2020 Elsevier LtdCalcium aluminate cement (CAC) concretes are desirable owing to their rapid strength development and resistance to high temperatures, sulfates and acids. They suffer two drawbacks, however, high cost and strength loss due to conversion of water-rich hydration products to more stable structures, resulting in a drop in strength. Although its rate is dependent on temperature and moisture, the conversion process is thermodynamically inevitable but can be prevented by adding sufficient quantities of supplementary cementing materials (SCMs) to form an alternate, stable hydrate, Stratlingite (C2ASH8). Based on this premise, natural pozzolans could mitigate conversion, also reducing cost. This study investigated the influence, on hydration, of replacing 25–75% of CAC with ground perlite (GP), an inexpensive and abundant natural pozzolan. Paste and mortar mixtures with water-to-binder ratios of 0.40 and 0.60 were cured in air at 23 °C or in water at 40 °C. The influence of adding Na2SO4 to promote Stratlingite formation was also investigated. A multi-method approach comprising X-ray diffraction (XRD), isothermal calorimetry, thermal analysis, and compressive strength development was used. Stratlingite formation was confirmed in many mixtures containing GP. Wet-cured mortars with ≥50% GP and 1% Na2SO4 contained Stratlingite and showed continuous strength increases up to 90 d. Rapid-, or slow-progressing drops in strength were observed in air-cured mixtures or wet-cured mixtures containing < 50% GP. Mortars with 75% GP did not experience conversion but their ultimate strengths were much lower than even the converted strength of the pure CAC mortar. Heats of hydration of pastes decreased linearly with GP replacement of CAC despite their setting times being shortened

Anti-CD10 (56C6) expression in soft tissue sarcomas

CD10 is known to be expressed in certain types of leukemia, in lymphomas and also in various types of carcinoma. However, data regarding CD10 expression in soft tissue sarcomas is scarce. Two hundred and two retrospective soft tissue sarcoma specimens were evaluated for CD10 expression immunohistochemically. The clinical records of these patients were reviewed, and clinical data was obtained for all patients. Our results showed that 90 of the 202 cases were found to express CD10. 72% of malignant fibrous histiocytomas, 45% of fibrosarcomas, 34% of rhabdomyosarcomas, 50% of leiomyosarcomas, 22% of liposarcomas, 72% of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, and 0% of the primitive neuroectodermal tumors were positive for CD10. Nearly half of the soft tissue sarcomas were found to express CD10. Stronger CD10 expression was found in high grade sarcomas. (C) 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved

Plasma cell granuloma of the thyroid

We report two cases of thyroidal plasma cell granuloma. Both patients underwent surgical resection after presenting with painless neck swelling. Histopathologic examination of the specimens revealed plasmacytes infiltrating the thyroid parenchyma and immunohistochemical studies showed the polyclonal nature of the plasma cells. Plasma cell granuloma is a benign lesion and its appearance in the thyroid gland is extremely rare. Eleven prior cases with thyroid localization have been reported to date in the English literature. Nine of the plasma cell granuloma cases occurred in women, four in men (including the present cases). The clinicopathologic features and diagnostic difficulties of this rare entity are described, and its relation to inflammatory pseudotumor of other sites is discussed with a review of the literature