An Early Detection and Classification of Alzheimer's Disease Framework Based on ResNet-50.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to develop a more effective early detection system for Alzheimer's disease (AD) using a Deep Residual Network (ResNet) model by addressing the issue of convolutional layers in conventional Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and applying image preprocessing techniques. METHODS: The proposed method involves using Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalizer (CLAHE) and Boosted Anisotropic Diffusion Filters (BADF) for equalization and noise removal and K-means clustering for segmentation. A ResNet-50 model with shortcut links between three residual layers is proposed to extract features more efficiently. ResNet-50 is preferred over other ResNet types due to its intermediate depth, striking a balance between computational efficiency and improved performance, making it a widely adopted and effective architecture for various computer vision tasks. While other ResNet variations may offer higher depths, they are more prone to overfitting and computational complexity, which can hinder their practical application. The proposed method is evaluated on a dataset of MRI scans of AD patients. RESULTS: The proposed method achieved high accuracy and minimum losses of 95% and 0.12, respectively. While some models showed better accuracy, they were prone to overfitting. In contrast, the suggested framework, based on the ResNet-50 model, demonstrated superior performance in terms of various performance metrics, providing a robust and reliable approach to Alzheimer's disease categorization. CONCLUSION: The proposed ResNet-50 model with shortcut links between three residual layers, combined with image preprocessing techniques, provides an effective early detection system for AD. The study demonstrates the potential of deep learning and image processing techniques in developing accurate and efficient diagnostic tools for AD. The proposed method improves the existing approaches to AD classification and provides a promising framework for future research in this area.

A Rare Finding of Pancreatic Involvement in a Case of Burkitt's Lymphoma.

Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) is a highly aggressive type of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. BL commonly occurs in children of age 4-7 years and is uncommon in adults, with a worse prognosis. Patients often present with a rapidly growing mass typically involving the abdomen (liver and spleen) and head and neck (nodes, jaw, and facial bones). Pancreas involvement is very rare and very few case reports have been documented so far. Fluorine-18 positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-18 PET/CT) is a whole-body survey commonly used for initial staging evaluation. Here, we present an interesting case of BL in an adult female of 43 years, who presented with swelling in the left submandibular region after tooth extraction with multiorgan involvement found on F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT.

Benign lymphoepithelial lesion of the minor salivary gland - A rare presentation as a palatal swelling.

Benign lymphoepithelial lesion (BLEL) is characterized by extensive lymphocytic infiltration of the major salivary glands and may be associated with Sjogren's syndrome or HIV infection. The involvement of the palatal minor salivary glands is extremely rare. We report an isolated case of BLEL affecting the palatal minor salivary glands, presenting as a palatal swelling in a 37-year-old female patient. Serological tests ruled out potential comorbid conditions. Cone-beam computed tomography showed a palatal soft-tissue mass with thinning of the adjacent cortical plates. A histopathological examination revealed salivary gland tissue with significant acinar destruction, dense lymphocytic infiltration and focal myoepithelial islands. Therefore, BLEL may be considered as a rare differential diagnostic possibility of a palatal soft-tissue mass lesion.

Detection of estrous biomarkers in the body exudates of Kangayam cattle (Bos indicus) from interplay of hormones and behavioral expressions.

Behavioral expressions and biochemical composition of body exudates are significantly altered in concert with the endocrine status, which are all clear indicators of physiological conditions of animals. In this study, we sought to infer about the reproductive physiological status of Kangayam cattle (Bos indicus) by analyzing behaviors, endocrine pattern, and body exudates and further to discover estrous biomarkers so as to facilitate timely artificial insemination/mating and to aid in aspects of conservation of the species. Therefore, in this study, we followed Kangayam cows through pre-estrous to post-estrous phases to correlate the endocrine dependence of biochemical constituents in urine and cervical mucus and sought to identify estrous biomarkers. Behavioral estrus was confirmed in 10 cows, from which urine samples were collected and subjected to determination of LH, FSH, estrogens, progesterone, proteins, and lipids. Furthermore, urinary fatty acids and proteins were profiled using gas chromatography and SDS-PAGE, respectively. The volatile compounds in the urine and cervical mucus were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The data revealed that LH, FSH, and estrogen levels increased significantly in estrous urine compared with nonestrous urine, whereas progesterone status was vice versa (P < 0.05). The lipid content was also significantly higher in estrous urine than in pre- and post-estrous urines (P < 0.05). There were also cyclical variations of volatiles and fatty acid profiles across phases of the estrous cycle. More acidic compounds were present in estrous urine, rendering it more acidic, than in pre- and post-estrous urines. Interestingly, oleic acid, which was present as a fatty acid in estrous and post-estrous urines, appeared to be a volatile in post-estrous urine and estrous cervical mucus. In addition, octanoic and butanoic acids were specific to both estrous urine and cervical mucus, indicating their possible candidature as estrous biomarkers. SDS-PAGE analysis showed pronounced expression of a 98 kDa protein in post-estrous urine, which in matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry was identified as albumin. Our results demonstrate multiple biomarkers in estrous urine and specific volatiles in cervical mucus that offer scope to develop viable estrus detection kits for Kangayam cows.

Shape memory alloy reinforced 5 mm ultra-thin rigid link surgical instrument with force-feedback.

We report the development of a rigid link surgical instrument for surgical robotics. The device is only 5 mm in diameter and equipped with a shape memory alloy for better gripping, which avoids the use of mechanical gears. This ultra-thin instrument has a unique force sensor mount at the gripper to capture forces as low as 288 mN from the surgical site. The gripper is controlled by a 0.5 mm cable that drives the 3-Degrees of Freedom movement for the dexterity. This mechanically robust instrument can pave the way for the realisation of compact and low cost surgical instruments for real world applications in medical robotics.

Impact of Si4+ Ions Doping on the Electrochemical Cycling Performance of NiTiO3 as Anodes for Li-Lon Batteries.

Pristine and Si4+ doped NiTiO3 are successfully synthesized by molten salt method and electrochemically characterized for its use as an anode material for Li-ion batteries. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results enumerates that the lattice parameter and the cell volume decreases upon the addition of Si4+ due to its smaller ionic radius. The presence of Si4+ in NiTiO3 structure was also confirmed using FTIR analysis, which showed the stretching vibrations of Si-O at -1008 cm(-1). The SEM images reveal that the NiTiO3 particles are in micrometer range and the size of the particle is found to be decrease after Si4+ addition. The electrical studies infers an enhancement in the conductivity from 4.4 x 10(-7) S x cm(-1) to 1.7 x 10(-6) S x cm(-1) on dopant addition. The initial discharge capacity of NiTiO3 is found to be 1257 mA h g(-1) and there is a capacity fading on consecutive cycles. NiTi0.9Si0.1O3 enhances the cyclic performances and a constant capacity around 400 mA h g(-1) is maintained, a very good reversibility with almost 100% efficiency is observed elucidating the fact that almost all the Li ions intercalated are successfully de-intercalated during the discharge process.

Effect of pH on the sonochemical synthesis of BiPO4 nanostructures and its electrochemical properties for pseudocapacitors.

Using sonochemical method, BiPO4 nanocrystals were prepared at different pH conditions (pH-1, 3, 5, 7, 9 & 12) for the possible applications of pseudocapacitor electrodes. The prepared BiPO4 nanocrystals belong to monoclinic structure with P21 space group. The SEM image revealed that the particles changed from irregular coarse shape into rod like structure (pH-1 to 7) which finally collapsed into irregular aggregates (pH-9 to pH-12). The observed spot patterns from SAED inferred the polycrystalline nature of the material. The electrochemical performance of the synthesized BiPO4 in various ultrasound irradiation conditions such as irradiation time (30min, 1h, 2h and 3h) and ultrasonication power (40%, 50%, 60% and 70% of instrumental power) was studied. A maximum specific capacitance of 1052F/g (pH-7 at 2mV/s) was observed for the BiPO4 prepared in the ultrasonication reaction condition of 2h with 60% power. Also the obtained specific capacitance was high compared with the conventional precipitation method (623F/g at 2mV/s) that revealed the prominence of sonication method. Similarly, BiPO4 prepared at pH-7 delivered a maximum specific capacitance of 302F/g at 2mA/cm(2) calculated from galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) method than the other pH conditions. However, the cycling stability of BiPO4 (pH-7) was not appreciable even for 200 cycles. So, attempts were taken to enhance the cycling stability of the material by employing various carbon matrices such as acetylene black, activated carbon and MWCNT instead of carbon black during electrode preparation. BiPO4 material with activated carbon delivered good capacitance retention compared with other carbon matrices. This enhanced electrochemical performance of BiPO4 (pH-7) using activated carbon matrix inferred that it could be utilized as efficient negative electrode material for pseudocapacitors.

Development and application of active films for food packaging using antibacterial peptide of Bacillus licheniformis Me1.

AIMS: An attempt was made to evaluate the effectiveness of partially purified antibacterial peptide (ppABP) produced by Bacillus licheniformis Me1 for food preservation by means of active packaging. METHODS AND RESULTS: The active packaging films containing ppABP were developed using two different packing materials [low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and cellulose films] by two different methods: soaking and spread coating. The activated films showed antibacterial activity against pathogens. The release study of ppABP from coated film showed that the LDPE films liberated ppABP as soon as it comes in contact with water, while gradual release of coated ppABP was observed in case of cellulose films. The activated films showed residual activity in different simulating conditions, such as pH of food and storage temperatures. The activated films demonstrated its biopreservative efficacy in controlling the growth of pathogens in cheese and paneer. CONCLUSIONS: The ppABP-activated films were found to be effective for biopreservation. The ppABP from active films got diffused into the food matrix and reduced the growth rate and maximum growth population of the target micro-organism. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Both types of ppABP-activated films can be used as a packaging material to control spoilage and pathogenic organisms in food, thereby extending the shelf life of foods.

Evaluation of the wound-healing activity of Hibiscus rosa sinensis L (Malvaceae) in Wistar albino rats.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the wound-healing potency of the ethanolic extract of the flowers of Hibiscus rosa sinensis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The wound-healing activity of H. rosa sinensis (5 and 10% w/w) on Wistar albino rats was studied using three different models viz., excision, incision and dead space wound. The parameters studied were breaking strength in incision model, granulation tissue dry weight, breaking strength and collagen content in dead space wound model, percentage of wound contraction and period of epithelization in excision wound model. The granulation tissue formed on days 4, 8, 12, and 16 (post-wound) was used to estimate total collagen, hexosamine, protein, DNA and uronic acid. Data were analyzed by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The extract increased cellular proliferation and collagen synthesis at the wound site, as evidenced by increase in DNA, total protein and total collagen content of granulation tissues. The extract-treated wounds were found to heal much faster as indicated by improved rates of epithelialization and wound contraction. The extract of H. rosa sinensis significantly (P<0.001) increased the wound-breaking strength in the incision wound model compared to controls. The extract-treated wounds were found to epithelialize faster, and the rate of wound contraction was significantly (P<0.001) increased as compared to control wounds. Wet and dry granulation tissue weights in a dead space wound model increased significantly (P<0.001). There was a significant increase in wound closure rate, tensile strength, dry granuloma weight, wet granuloma weight and decrease in epithelization period in H. rosa sinensis-treated group as compared to control and standard drug-treated groups. CONCLUSION: The ethanolic extract of H. rosa sinensis had greater wound-healing activity than the nitrofurazone ointment.

Comparative bacteriology of acute and chronic dacryocystitis.

AIMS: To compare the bacterial aetiology and their in vitroantibacterial susceptibilities of acute and chronic dacryocystitis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients with clinically diagnosed acute and chronic dacryocystitis who underwent microbiological evaluation presenting between January 2000 and December 2005 was carried out. Mucopurulent discharge through punctum, pus from burst abscess, incision drainage, and lacrimal sac content were taken and subjected to microbiological evaluation. RESULTS: A total of 1891 patients of dacryocystitis were evaluated and subjected to microbiological evaluation, of which 566 (29.9%) had acute dacryocystitis and 1325 (70.1%) had chronic dacryocystitis. Of 1891 eyes, 1518 (80.3%) had pure bacterial growth and the remaining 373 (19.7%) had no growth. The percentage of culture-positivity was found to be higher in chronic dacryocystitis (90%) than in acute dacryocystitis (57.4%) (P<0.0001). A total of 1612 bacterial isolates were recovered from 325 acute and 1193 chronic dacryocystitis; in 1424 (93.8%) eyes, single bacterial species was isolated, and in the remaining 94 (6.2%) eyes, two bacterial species were isolated. The predominant bacterial pathogen isolated from acute dacryocystitis was Staphylococcus aureus(22.3%) followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa(21.1%) and from chronic dacryocystitis was coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) (44.2%), S. aureus(10.8%), and Streptococcus pneumoniae(10%). The highest percentage of bacterial isolates were susceptible to gatifloxacin (96.5%), ofloxacin (94.8%), and amikacin (91.1%). The percentage of resistance of bacterial isolates recovered from chronic dacryocystitis to gentamicin (45.7%), tobramycin (50.8%), norfloxacin (50.7%), and ciprofloxacin (30.4%) were found to be higher than that of bacterial isolates from acute infection to gentamicin (24.6%), tobramycin (35%), norfloxacin (36.5%), and ciprofloxacin (19.9%). CONCLUSION: The proportions of S. aureusand Pseudomonasspp are higher in causing acute dacryocystitis, while the proportion of CoNS is higher in chronic dacryocystitis. The percentages of antibacterial resistant isolates were higher among bacterial species from chronic dacryocystitis.