Channel-Boosted and Transfer Learning Convolutional Neural Network-Based Osteoporosis Detection from CT Scan, Dual X-Ray, and X-Ray Images.

Osteoporosis is a word used to describe a condition in which bone density has been diminished as a result of inadequate bone tissue development to counteract the elimination of old bone tissue. Osteoporosis diagnosis is made possible by the use of medical imaging technologies such as CT scans, dual X-ray, and X-ray images. In practice, there are various osteoporosis diagnostic methods that may be performed with a single imaging modality to aid in the diagnosis of the disease. The proposed study is to develop a framework, that is, to aid in the diagnosis of osteoporosis which agrees to all of these CT scans, X-ray, and dual X-ray imaging modalities. The framework will be implemented in the near future. The proposed work, CBTCNNOD, is the integration of 3 functional modules. The functional modules are a bilinear filter, grey-level zone length matrix, and CB-CNN. It is constructed in a manner that can provide crisp osteoporosis diagnostic reports based on the images that are fed into the system. All 3 modules work together to improve the performance of the proposed approach, CBTCNNOD, in terms of accuracy by 10.38%, 10.16%, 7.86%, and 14.32%; precision by 11.09%, 9.08%, 10.01%, and 16.51%; sensitivity by 9.77%, 10.74%, 6.20%, and 12.78%; and specificity by 11.01%, 9.52%, 9.5%, and 15.84%, while requiring less processing time of 33.52%, 17.79%, 23.34%, and 10.86%, when compared to the existing techniques of RCETA, BMCOFA, BACBCT, and XSFCV, respectively.

Mutation analysis of WNT4 gene in SRY negative 46,XX DSD patients with Mullerian agenesis and/or gonadal dysgenesis- An Indian study.

Developmental disruption of the Mullerian duct and gonads in females leads to Mullerian agenesis and gonadal dysgenesis, respectively. These two structural abnormalities are coming under the 46,XX DSD (Disorders of Sexual Development) classification, the majority of cases the aetiology remains elusive. Without the SRY gene, WNT4 plays a key role in female reproductive structure development. Since there are no studies that explored the involvement of the WNT4 gene in Indian 46,XX DSD patients, we analysed the role of WNT4 in Indian 46,XX DSD patients with Mullerian agenesis and/or Gonadal dysgenesis. In our study, we recruited 103 adolescent girls with primary amenorrhea. After the cytogenetic and SRY gene analysis, we included thirty-two 46,XX DSD patients with Mullerian agenesis and/or gonadal dysgenesis for WNT4 gene mutation analysis. PCR sequencing was performed for all the coding exons of the WNT4 gene. Bioinformatic tools like Mutation Taster, Human Splicing Finder, and miRDB were used. We observed single nucleotide variations in three patients. One patient showed a known synonymous polymorphism (c.861C > T; p.G287G, rs544988174). miRDB data revealed the absence of microRNA regulatory sites in this region. The other two cases carried a nucleotide substitution in intronic regions and did not affect the normal splicing mechanism. In conclusion, we could not find any indication about WNT4 involvement in the disease condition. In the future, WNT4 promoter analysis in these patients and molecular characterization of the WNT4 coding and promoter region in more patients are needed to link WNT4 variants with these structural abnormalities.

3D Convolutional Neural Network Framework with Deep Learning for Nuclear Medicine.

Though artificial intelligence (AI) has been used in nuclear medicine for more than 50 years, more progress has been made in deep learning (DL) and machine learning (ML), which have driven the development of new AI abilities in the field. ANNs are used in both deep learning and machine learning in nuclear medicine. Alternatively, if 3D convolutional neural network (CNN) is used, the inputs may be the actual images that are being analyzed, rather than a set of inputs. In nuclear medicine, artificial intelligence reimagines and reengineers the field's therapeutic and scientific capabilities. Understanding the concepts of 3D CNN and U-Net in the context of nuclear medicine provides for a deeper engagement with clinical and research applications, as well as the ability to troubleshoot problems when they emerge. Business analytics, risk assessment, quality assurance, and basic classifications are all examples of simple ML applications. General nuclear medicine, SPECT, PET, MRI, and CT may benefit from more advanced DL applications for classification, detection, localization, segmentation, quantification, and radiomic feature extraction utilizing 3D CNNs. An ANN may be used to analyze a small dataset at the same time as traditional statistical methods, as well as bigger datasets. Nuclear medicine's clinical and research practices have been largely unaffected by the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI). Clinical and research landscapes have been fundamentally altered by the advent of 3D CNN and U-Net applications. Nuclear medicine professionals must now have at least an elementary understanding of AI principles such as neural networks (ANNs) and convolutional neural networks (CNNs).

A Regional Pooling Intervention in a High-Throughput COVID-19 Diagnostic Laboratory to Enhance Throughput, Save Resources and Time Over a Period of 6 Months.

An effective and rapid diagnosis has great importance in tackling the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic through isolation of the infected individuals to curb the transmission and initiation of specialized treatment for the disease. It has been proven that enhanced testing capacities contribute to efficiently curbing SARS-CoV-2 transmission during the initial phases of the outbreaks. RT-qPCR is considered a gold standard for the diagnosis of COVID-19. However, in resource-limited countries expenses for molecular diagnosis limits the diagnostic capacities. Here, we present interventions of two pooling strategies as 5 sample pooling (P-5) and 10 sample pooling (P-10) in a high-throughput COVID-19 diagnostic laboratory to enhance throughput and save resources and time over a period of 6 months. The diagnostic capacity was scaled-up 2.15-folds in P-5 and 1.8-fold in P-10, reagents (toward RNA extraction and RT-qPCR) were preserved at 75.24% in P-5 and 86.21% in P-10, and time saved was 6,290.93 h in P-5 and 3147.3 h in P-10.

Bacterial profile of bovine mastitis in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Bovine mastitis is the commonest episode of infection in the dairy industry, which often occurs after damage of epithelial cells lining the teat duct. It is ranked as the second most important cause of milk production loss directly and a devastating disease with a higher incidence leading to the culling of dairy cows. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis is aimed to quantitatively estimate the current status of mastitis in general and bacterial mastitis particular in Ethiopia. Methods: A literature search was carried from major databases and indexing services including PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct. Also, local institution repositories were searched to retrieve unpublished MSc and PhD theses. All studies were included addressing the prevalence of mastitis and bacterial isolates conducted in Ethiopia. Microsoft Excel was used to extract data and was imported to R Studio for the analyses. The random-effects model at a 95% confidence level was used for pooled estimates of outcomes. The degree of heterogeneity was computed by Higgins's I2 statistics. Publication bias was checked by using the funnel plots of standard error augmented by Begg's and Egger's tests. Results: A total of 46 studies with 15,780 cows were included in this study. All studies have collected 18,478 suspected samples for bacterial isolation. While pooled prevalence estimate of mastitis was 47.6%, the bacterial isolates pooled prevalence was 33.1%. The bacterial mastitis was 6.5% in cows infected by clinical patients and was 28.3% subclinical patients. The common isolates were Staph aureus, Strep species, Staph epidermis, Escherchia coli, Corynebacterium bovis, Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus and Klebsiella species. A univariate meta-regression analysis evidenced that the type of mastitis and management system was a possible source of heterogeneity (P-value = 0.001). Conclusion: The pooled prevalence of bacterial mastitis in Ethiopian dairy cattle was high. The analysis showed bacterial pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus, Staph epidermis, Strep species and Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus are majorly accounted for bovine mastitis in Ethiopia. Therefore, the highly prevalent and commonly isolated pathogens cause contagious mastitis which require immediate attention by dairy producers to put under control by devising robust mastitis prevention and control interventions.

Guidelines for the management of common congenital heart diseases in India: A consensus statement on indications and timing of intervention.

INTRODUCTION: A number of guidelines are available for management of congenital heart diseases from infancy to adult life. However, these guidelines are for patients living in high-income countries. Separate guidelines, applicable to Indian children, are required when recommending an intervention for congenital heart diseases, as often these patients present late in the course of the disease and may have co-existing morbidities and malnutrition. PROCESS: Guidelines emerged following expert deliberations at the National Consensus Meeting on Management of Congenital Heart Diseases in India, held on the 10th and 11th of August, 2018 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to frame evidence-based guidelines for (i) indications and optimal timing of intervention in common congenital heart diseases and (ii) follow-up protocols for patients who have undergone cardiac surgery/catheter interventions for congenital heart diseases. RECOMMENDATIONS: Evidence-based recommendations are provided for indications and timing of intervention in common congenital heart diseases, including left-to-right shunts, obstructive lesions, and cyanotic congenital heart diseases. In addition, protocols for follow-up of postsurgical patients are also described.

Stability of nano-sized permethrin in its colloidal state and its effect on the physiological and biochemical profile of Culex tritaeniorhynchus larvae.

The occurrence of pesticidal pollution in the environment and the resistance in the mosquito species makes an urge for the safer and an effective pesticide. Permethrin, a poorly water-soluble pyrethroid pesticide, was formulated into a hydrodispersible nanopowder through rapid solvent evaporation of pesticide-loaded oil in water microemulsion. Stability studies confirmed that the nanopermethrin dispersion was stable in paddy field water for 5 days with the mean particle sizes of 175.3 ± 0.75 nm and zeta potential of -30.6 ± 0.62 mV. The instability rate of the nanopermethrin particles was greater in alkaline (pH 10) medium when compared with the neutral (pH 7) and acidic (pH 4) dispersion medium. The colloidal dispersion at 45°C was found to be less stable compared with the dispersions at 25 and 5°C. The 12- and 24-h lethal indices (LC50) for nanopermethrin were found to be 0.057 and 0.014 mg l-1, respectively. These results were corroborative with the severity of damages observed in the mosquito larvae manifested in epithelial cells and the evacuation of the midgut contents. Further, the results were substantiated by the decrease in cellular biomolecules and biomarker enzyme activity in nanopermethrin treated larvae when compared to bulk and control treatment.

Therapeutic effects of gold nanoparticles synthesized using Musa paradisiaca peel extract against multiple antibiotic resistant Enterococcus faecalis biofilms and human lung cancer cells (A549).

Botanical-mediated synthesis of nanomaterials is currently emerging as a cheap and eco-friendly nanotechnology, since it does not involve the use of toxic chemicals. In the present study, we focused on the synthesis of gold nanoparticles using the aqueous peel extract of Musa paradisiaca (MPPE-AuNPs) following a facile and cheap fabrication process. The green synthesized MPPE-AuNPs were bio-physically characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, TEM, Zeta potential analysis and EDX. MPPE-AuNPs were crystalline in nature, spherical to triangular in shape, with particle size ranging within 50 nm. The biofilm inhibition activity of MPPE-AuNPs was higher against multiple antibiotic resistant (MARS) Gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis. Light and confocal laser scanning microscopic observations evidenced that the MPPE-AuNPs effectively inhibited the biofilm of E. faecalis when tested at 100 µg mL-1. Cytotoxicity studies demonstrated that MPPE-AuNPs were effective in inhibiting the viability of human A549 lung cancer cells at higher concentrations of 100 µg mL-1. The morphological changes in the MPPE-AuNPs treated A549 lung cancer cells were visualized under phase-contrast microscopy. Furthermore, the ecotoxicity of MPPE-AuNPs on the freshwater micro crustacean Ceriodaphnia cornuta were evaluated. Notably, no mortality was recorded in MPPE-AuNPs treated C. cornuta at 250 µg mL-1. This study concludes that MPPE-AuNPs are non-toxic, eco-friendly and act as a multipurpose potential biomaterial for biomedical applications.

Antibacterial activity of neem nanoemulsion and its toxicity assessment on human lymphocytes in vitro.

Neem (Azadirachta indica) is recognized as a medicinal plant well known for its antibacterial, antimalarial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Neem nanoemulsion (NE) (O/W) is formulated using neem oil, Tween 20, and water by high-energy ultrasonication. The formulated neem NE showed antibacterial activity against the bacterial pathogen Vibrio vulnificus by disrupting the integrity of the bacterial cell membrane. Despite the use of neem NE in various biomedical applications, the toxicity studies on human cells are still lacking. The neem NE showed a decrease in cellular viability in human lymphocytes after 24 hours of exposure. The neem NE at lower concentration (0.7-1 mg/mL) is found to be nontoxic while it is toxic at higher concentrations (1.2-2 mg/mL). The oxidative stress induced by the neem NE is evidenced by the depletion of catalase, SOD, and GSH levels in human lymphocytes. Neem NE showed a significant increase in DNA damage when compared to control in human lymphocytes (P<0.05). The NE is an effective antibacterial agent against the bacterial pathogen V. vulnificus, and it was found to be nontoxic at lower concentrations to human lymphocytes.

The Environmentally Benign form of Pesticide in Hydrodispersive Nanometric form with Improved Efficacy Against Adult Mosquitoes at Low Exposure Concentrations.

Permethrin, a poorly water-soluble synthetic pesticide belonging to the pyrethroid family, was formulated into water-dispersive nanometric form by rapid evaporation of pesticide loaded oil-in-water microemulsion. The mean hydrodynamic diameter of Nanopermethrin was found to be 199.01 ± 1.4 nm. The efficacy of the Nanopermethrin was comparatively investigated with its bulk form against 2-3 days old adult mosquitoes by WHO cone bioassay for 60 min. The median knockdown concentration of Culex tritaeniorhynchus, Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes albopictus were found to be 7.20 × 10(4), 7.53 × 10(4), 0.42 × 10(3) mg/L for Bulk permethrin, and 0.98 × 10(4), 1.17 × 10(4), 0.05 × 10(3) mg/L for Nanopermethrin, respectively. The obtained results extrapolate the improved efficacy of Nanopermethrin even at low-level concentrations. Hence, the formulated Nanopermethrin will serve as an effective alternative pesticide in controlling the mosquito population with reduced environmental toxicity.

Nanoformulation of poly(ethylene glycol) polymerized organic insect repellent by PIT emulsification method and its application for Japanese encephalitis vector control.

The utilization of increased dosage of insect repellents to overcome mosquito resistance has raised environmental concerns globally. In accord to this, we have formulated an efficacious, water-dispersive, nanometric formulation of a poor water-soluble insect repellent, diethylphenylacetamide (DEPA) by poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) polymerization followed by PIT emulsification method. The critical micelle concentration of PEG in the spontaneously emulsified conventional DEPA droplets was determined, based on the droplets physical stability. Subjecting them to PIT emulsification yielded monodispersed polymeric nanomicelles of DEPA (Nano DEPA) with hydrodynamic mean diameter of 153.74 nm. The high-resolution scanning and transmission electron microscopic studies revealed the characteristic core-shell structure of micelle. The comparative efficacy of Bulk DEPA and Nano DEPA was evaluated by larvicidal and WHO cone bioassay against the Japanese encephalitis vector Culex tritaeniorhynchus. The median lethal concentrations (48 h) for 3rd instars C. tritaeniorhynchus larvae were found to be 0.416 mg/L for Bulk DEPA and 0.052 mg/L for Nano DEPA, respectively. The median knockdown concentrations (60 min) for the two to three-day-old, sucrose-fed, female adult mosquitoes were 5.372% (v/v) and 3.471% (v/v) for Bulk and Nano DEPA, respectively. Further investigation by histopathological and biochemical studies propound that Nano DEPA exerted better bioefficacy as comparative to its bulk form even at minimal exposure concentrations. Hence, Nano DEPA will serve as an effective alternate in controlling the vector expansion with reduced dosage.

Antitumor activity and antioxidant property of Curcuma caesia against Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma bearing mice.

CONTEXT: Curcuma caesia Roxb. (Zingiberaceae), commonly known as "Kala Haldi" in Bengali, has been traditionally used for the treatment of cancer, bruises, inflammation and as an aphrodisiac. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the antitumor activity and antioxidant status of the methanol extract of Curcuma caesia (MECC) rhizomes on Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma (EAC)-treated mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vitro cytotoxicity assay of MECC was evaluated by using Trypan blue method. Determination of in vivo antitumor activity was performed after 24 h of EAC cells (2 × 10(6) cells/mouse) inoculation; MECC (50 and 100 mg/kg i.p.) was administered daily for nine consecutive days. On day 10, half of the mice were sacrificed and the rest were kept alive for assessment of increase in lifespan. Antitumor effect of MECC was assessed by the study of tumor volume, tumor weight, viable and non-viable cell count, hematological parameters and biochemical estimations. Furthermore, antioxidant parameters were assayed by estimating liver and kidney tissue enzymes. RESULTS: MECC showed direct cytotoxicity (IC50 90.70 ± 8.37 µg/mL) on EAC cell line. MECC exhibited significant (p < 0.01) decrease in tumor volume, tumor weight, viable cell count and percentage increased the lifespan (57.14 and 88.09%) of EAC-treated mice. Hematological profile, biochemical estimation, tissue antioxidant assay significantly (p < 0.01) reverted to normal level in MECC-treated mice. CONCLUSION: MECC possesses potent antitumor activity that may be due to its direct cytotoxic effect or antioxidant properties. Further research is in progress to find out the active principle(s) of MECC for its antitumor activity.

Distinctive effects of nano-sized permethrin in the environment.

Pesticides are an essential tool in integrated pest management. Nanopermethrin was prepared by solvent evaporation from an oil-in-water volatile microemulsion. The efficacy of the formulated nanopermethrin was tested against Aedes aegypti and the results compared to those of regular, microparticular permethrin. The 24 h LC50 for nanopermethrin and permethrin was found to be 0.0063 and 0.0199 mg/L, respectively. The formulated nanopermethrin was tested for toxicity against non-target organisms. Nanopermethrin did not show antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (ATCC 13534 and 25922) or against Bacillus subtilis. Phytotoxicity studies of nanopermethrin to the seeds of Lycopersicum esculentum, Cucumis sativus, and Zea mays showed no restraint in root length and germination percentage. In the Allium cepa test, regular microparticular permethrin treatment of 0.13 mg/L showed a mitotic index (MI) of 46.8% and chromosomal aberration of 0.6%, which was statistically significant (p < 0.05) compared to control. No significant differences were observed in 0.13 mg/L nanopermethrin exposure as compared to control (MI of 52.0 and 55.03 % and chromosomal aberration of 0.2 and 0%, respectively). It was concluded that formulated nanopermethrin can be used as a safe and effectual alternative to commercially available permethrin formulation in agricultural practices.

Development of a RP-LC method for a diastereomeric drug valganciclovir hydrochloride by enhanced approach.

Two methods, prescribed in USP, for the analysis of related substances of valganciclovir hydrochloride drug substance, were evaluated in terms of selectivity and ease of use. A new, simple, selective, stability indicating and user friendly RP-LC method was developed for related substances analysis. The developed single method is capable of separating all known impurities, which are quantified by two methods of USP. A central composite design was applied to optimize the critical chromatographic parameters. A multi step gradient program was strategically designed and a part of the program was optimized through Design of Experiments. Separation was achieved with a Zorbax SB C18 column with 0.1% trifluoro acetic acid and methanol in gradient elution. Design space is proposed graphically for the robust operation of the method. The method is linear, precise and accurate from LOQ level to 150% level of specification limit of impurities. Simple modification in the gradient program with reduced run time is also proposed for assay and diastereomer ratio.

Evaluation of antitumor activity and in vivo antioxidant status of Anthocephalus cadamba on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma treated mice.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Miq. (Family: Rubiaceae) is commonly known as "Kadamba" in Sanskrit and Hindi in India. Various parts of this plant have been used as a folk medicine for the treatment of tumor, wound healing, inflammation and as a hypoglycemic agent. AIM OF STUDY: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the antitumor activity and antioxidant status of defatted methanol extract of A. cadamba (MEAC) on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) treated mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vitro cytotoxicity assay has been evaluated by using the trypan blue method. The determination of in vivo antitumor activity was performed by using different EAC cells (2 × 10(6) cells, i.p.) inoculated mice groups (n=12). The groups were treated for 9 consecutive days with MEAC at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg b.w. respectively. After 24h of last dose and 18 h of fasting, half of the mice were sacrificed and the rest were kept alive for assessment of increase in life span. The antitumor potential of MEAC was assessed by evaluating tumor volume, viable and nonviable tumor cell count, tumor weight, hematological parameters and biochemical estimations. Furthermore, antioxidant parameters were assayed by estimating liver and kidney tissue enzymes. RESULTS: MEAC showed direct cytotoxicity on EAC cell line in a dose dependant manner. MEAC exhibited significant (P<0.01) decrease in the tumor volume, viable cell count, tumor weight and elevated the life span of EAC tumor bearing mice. The hematological profile, biochemical estimations and tissue antioxidant assay were reverted to normal level in MEAC treated mice. CONCLUSION: Experimental results revealed that MEAC possesses potent antitumor and antioxidant properties. Further research is going on to find out the active principle(s) of MEAC for better understanding of mechanism of its antitumor and antioxidant activity.

Preclinical evaluation of antihyperglycemic activity of Clerodendron infortunatum leaf against streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

INTRODUCTION: Clerodendron infortunatum Linn. (Verbenaceae), commonly known as Bhant in Hindi, is a small shrub occurring throughout the plains of India, which is traditionally used for several medicinal purposes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the preclinical antihyperglycemic activity of the methanol extract of the leaves of C. infortunatum (MECI) in Wistar rats. METHODS: Hyperglycemia was induced in rats by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg body weight). Three days after STZ induction, the hyperglycemic rats were treated with MECI intraperitoneally at the doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight daily for 15 days. Glibenclamide (0.5 mg/kg, orally) was used as a reference drug. The fasting blood glucose levels were measured on every fifth day during the 15 days of treatment. Serum biochemical parameters such as glutamate pyruvate transaminase, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol, and total protein were estimated. Antioxidant properties were assessed by estimating hepatic lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione (GSH), and catalase (CAT). RESULTS: MECI at the doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg intraperitoneally significantly (P<0.001) and dose-dependently reduced and normalized blood glucose levels as compared to that of the STZ control group. Serum biochemical parameters were significantly (P<0.001) restored towards normal levels in MECI-treated rats as compared to the STZ control. MECI treatment also significantly (P<0.001) decreased lipid peroxidation and recovered GSH levels and CAT activity towards normal values, as compared to the STZ control. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that the leaves of C. infortunatum had remarkable preclinical antihyperglycemic activity in STZ-induced diabetic rats.

Development and validation of a stability indicating LC method for the assay and related substances determination of exemestane, an aromatase inhibitor.

A selective stability indicating HPLC method was developed and validated for quantification of impurities (process related and degradants) and assay determination of Exemestane. Stability indicating power of the method was established by forced degradation experiments and mass balance study. The chromatographic separation was achieved with Hypersil BDS-C-18 using gradient elution. The developed method is validated for parameters like accuracy, linearity, LOD, LOQ, ruggedness. Box-Behnken experimental design was applied to check the robustness of the method.

1'-Methylcyclooctane-1-spiro-3'-pyrrolidine-2'-spiro-3''-indoline-2,2''-dione and 1,1'-dimethylpiperidine-3-spiro-3'-pyrrolidine-2'-spiro-3''-indoline-2'',4-dione.

In both title compounds, C(19)H(24)N(2)O(2), (I), and C(17)H(21)N(3)O(2), (II), respectively, there are two molecules in the asymmetric unit and the pyrrolidine rings adopt envelope conformations. The conformations of the cyclooctane [in (I)] and 1-methylpiperidone [in (II)] rings are boat-chair and chair, respectively. The indolin-2-one group is almost perpendicular to the pyrrolidine ring. Intermolecular C-H...O, N-H...O and N-H...N interactions provide stability to the structures.