Breast Cancer Detection and Prevention Using Machine Learning.

Breast cancer is a common cause of female mortality in developing countries. Early detection and treatment are crucial for successful outcomes. Breast cancer develops from breast cells and is considered a leading cause of death in women. This disease is classified into two subtypes: invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques have made it possible to develop more accurate and reliable models for diagnosing and treating this disease. From the literature, it is evident that the incorporation of MRI and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) is helpful in breast cancer detection and prevention. In addition, the detection strategies have shown promise in identifying cancerous cells. The CNN Improvements for Breast Cancer Classification (CNNI-BCC) model helps doctors spot breast cancer using a trained deep learning neural network system to categorize breast cancer subtypes. However, they require significant computing power for imaging methods and preprocessing. Therefore, in this research, we proposed an efficient deep learning model that is capable of recognizing breast cancer in computerized mammograms of varying densities. Our research relied on three distinct modules for feature selection: the removal of low-variance features, univariate feature selection, and recursive feature elimination. The craniocaudally and medial-lateral views of mammograms are incorporated. We tested it with a large dataset of 3002 merged pictures gathered from 1501 individuals who had digital mammography performed between February 2007 and May 2015. In this paper, we applied six different categorization models for the diagnosis of breast cancer, including the random forest (RF), decision tree (DT), k-nearest neighbors (KNN), logistic regression (LR), support vector classifier (SVC), and linear support vector classifier (linear SVC). The simulation results prove that our proposed model is highly efficient, as it requires less computational power and is highly accurate.

Optimisation of Additives to Maximise Performance of Expandable Graphite-Based Intumescent-Flame-Retardant Polyurethane Composites.

The effect of varying the weight percentage composition (wt.%) of low-cost expandable graphite (EG), ammonium polyphosphate (APP), fibreglass (FG), and vermiculite (VMT) in polyurethane (PU) polymer was studied using a traditional intumescent flame retardant (IFR) system. The synergistic effect between EG, APP, FG, and VMT on the flame retardant properties of the PU composites was investigated using SEM, TGA, tensile strength tests, and cone calorimetry. The IFR that contained PU composites with 40 wt.% EG displayed superior flame retardant performance compared with the composites containing only 20 w.t.% or 10 w.t.% EG. The peak heat release rate, total smoke release, and carbon dioxide production from the 40 wt.% EG sample along with APP, FG, and VMT in the PU composite were 88%, 93%, and 92% less than the PU control sample, respectively. As a result, the synergistic effect was greatly influenced by the compactness of the united protective layer. The PU composite suppressed smoke emission and inhibited air penetrating the composite, thus reducing reactions with the gas volatiles of the material. SEM images and TGA results provided positive evidence for the combustion tests. Further, the mechanical properties of PU composites were also investigated. As expected, compared with control PU, the addition of flame-retardant additives decreased the tensile strength, but this was ameliorated with the addition of FG. These new PU composite materials provide a promising strategy for producing polymer composites with flame retardation and smoke suppression for construction materials.

Flame Retardancy and Excellent Electrical Insulation Performance of RTV Silicone Rubber.

Room temperature vulcanized (RTV) silicone rubber filled with aluminum trihydrate (ATH) is substantially engaged in electrical outdoor insulation applications. The pristine silicone rubber is highly combustible. ATH filled silicone rubber offers excellent electrical insulation but lacks in providing adequate flame retardancy. This short communication reports the novel results on improved flame retardancy of pristine and ATH filled silicone rubber whilst retaining the electrical insulation properties to a great extent. Results suggest that the presence of only one percent of graphene nanoplatelets with ATH sharply reduces the heat release rate and rate of smoke release. A minor reduction in dielectric breakdown strength and volume resistivity is noticed. Furthermore, permittivity and dielectric loss at power frequency suggest that a marginal 1% concentration of nanoplatelet with ATH is an excellent approach to fabricate flame retardant silicone rubber with an acceptable electrical insulation level.

Inhibiting Brd4 alleviated PTSD-like behaviors and fear memory through regulating immediate early genes expression and neuroinflammation in rats.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by depression/anxiety and memory failure, primarily fear memory. According to the reports, neuroinflammation and synaptic plasticity can play a role in the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying PTSD. Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (Brd4) intriguingly affects regulating of inflammatory responses and learning and memory. This study aimed to explore the effect of inhibiting Brd4 on depression/anxiety-like behaviors, spatial and fear memory, and underlying mechanisms in a model of PTSD. Inescapable foot shocks (IFS) with a sound reminder in 6 days were used to induce PTSD-like behaviors which were tested using contextual and cue fear tests, sucrose preference test, open-field test, elevated plus maze test, and Y-maze test. Meanwhile, the Brd4 inhibitor JQ1 was used as an intervention. The results found that IFS induced PTSD-like behaviors and indicated obvious Brd4 expression in microglia of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus, and amygdala, pro-inflammatory cytokines over-expression, microglial activation, and nuclear factor-kappa B over-expression in PFC and hippocampus but not in amygdala. Meanwhile, the alterations of immediate early genes (IEGs) were found in PFC, hippocampus, and amygdala. Besides, dendritic spine density was reduced in PFC and hippocampus but was elevated in amygdala of rats with IFS. In addition, treatment with JQ1 significantly reduced freezing time in the contextual and cue fear test, reversed the behavioral impairment, decreased the elevated neuroinflammation, and normalized the alteration in IEGs and dendritic spine densities. The results suggested that Brd4 was involved in IFS-induced PTSD-like behaviors through regulating neuroinflammation, dynamics of IEGs, and synaptic plasticity.

A Review of the State of the Art in Non-Contact Sensing for COVID-19.

COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has resulted in a global pandemic recently. With no approved vaccination or treatment, governments around the world have issued guidance to their citizens to remain at home in efforts to control the spread of the disease. The goal of controlling the spread of the virus is to prevent strain on hospitals. In this paper, we focus on how non-invasive methods are being used to detect COVID-19 and assist healthcare workers in caring for COVID-19 patients. Early detection of COVID-19 can allow for early isolation to prevent further spread. This study outlines the advantages and disadvantages and a breakdown of the methods applied in the current state-of-the-art approaches. In addition, the paper highlights some future research directions, which need to be explored further to produce innovative technologies to control this pandemic.

EZH2 is involved in vulnerability to neuroinflammation and depression-like behaviors induced by chronic stress in different aged mice.

BACKGROUND: Microglial activation and pro-inflammatory cytokines expression is closely related to pathogenesis of depression. Aging is a known risk factor for neuroinflammation in the central nervous system and subsequent behavioral impairment. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), a methyltransferase of histone H3 lysine 27 which regulates microglial activation, plays a crucial role in proinflammatory cytokines expression. However, whether the EZH2 is involved in susceptibility to depression in different ages remains elusive. METHODS: Young and aged C57BL/6 mice were exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress for three weeks. Depression- and anxiety-like behaviors, spatial memory impairment, and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, P-p65, EZH2, H3K27me3 and SOCS3 in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were measured using an established behavioral battery, ELISA, immunohistochemistry and western blotting techniques. Moreover, EPZ-6438, an inhibitor of EZH2, was utilized to detect the role of EZH2 in neuroinflammation and behavioral abnormalities. RESULTS: CUMS induced depression-like behaviors and spatial memory impairment, elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines and P-p65, enhanced M1 microglia activation, and increased levels of EZH2, H3K27me3 and SOCS3 in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in young and aged mice. Both unstressed and stressed aged mice displayed attention-deficit behavioral outcomes, alteration of protein levels compared with young mice. However, inhibition of EZH2 could relieve most of behavioral and molecular alterations. LIMITATIONS: A relative small sample size is a limitation. CONCLUSIONS: EZH2 might be involved in susceptibility to neuroinflammation and depression-like behaviors in different aged mice.

The relationship between procrastination, perceived stress, saliva alpha-amylase level and parenting styles in Chinese first year medical students.

BACKGROUND: Procrastination is prevalent among students today, and this negatively impacts upon their academic achievement. The current study aimed to explore the relationship between procrastination, perceived stress, saliva alpha-amylase (sAA) levels, and the parenting styles of Chinese first year medical students (MBBS). METHODS: We recruited 140 MBBS students aged 18-22 years. Assessments included the Procrastination Assessment Scale-Students (PASS), the Chinese version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), saliva alpha-amylase level (sAA), and the Chinese version of the Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran (EMBU) which assesses parenting style. PSS and sAA levels were assessed at week 1 (baseline), then again at week 2 and week 4. RESULTS: Male students reported higher levels of procrastination and perceived stress reactions than their female counterparts. Male students reported experiencing higher punishing/severe and rejecting (ie negative) parenting styles, while female students reported experiencing higher warm and affectionate (ie positive) parenting styles. Positive parenting styles were negatively associated with to procrastination and stress reactions, while negative parenting styles were positively associated with procrastination and delayed stress reactions among MBBS students. CONCLUSION: Procrastination induced stress in MBBS students, providing further evidence that procrastination enhances stress in young adulthood. Negative parenting styles, such as being punishing and rejecting, had a positive correlation with procrastination.

The Impact of Occupational Stress on Job Burnout Among Bank Employees in Pakistan, With Psychological Capital as a Mediator.

Background: Job burnout is a major issue for workers in the banking sector. Many employees report feeling exhausted and want to leave their jobs due to the extra pressure and workload from their superiors and clients. They also report not being well compensated for their hard work, which they believe they do to provide the best service to their clients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was made in various banks in different cities of Pakistan. An adapted questionnaire, including the effort-reward imbalance scale, psychological capital, and Maslach burnout inventory general survey were used to collect data from 1,778 male and female bank employees. Results: There was a significant and positive relationship between extrinsic effort and over-commitment on the one hand, and emotional exhaustion and depersonalization on the other. It was also found that reward was negatively associated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. However, reward had a positive association with personal accomplishment. There was a gender difference in the mediating effect of psychological capital on stress at work and job burnout. Conclusion: Male attitudes to work tend to be motivated by reward and appreciation, whereas females tend to demand a better working environment. To reduce job, burnout suitable interventions could be introduced for bank employees, whilst management support plays an important role in increasing or decreasing stress in employees.

Minocycline Attenuates Stress-Induced Behavioral Changes via Its Anti-inflammatory Effects in an Animal Model of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

Accumulating evidences have suggested that anxiety-like behavior and impairment of learning and memory are key symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and pharmacological treatment can ameliorate anxiety and cognitive impairments. Recent studies have shown that minocycline exhibits anxiolytic effects. The aims of the present study were to determine whether minocycline administration would alter anxiety-like behavior and cognitive deficits induced by inescapable foot shock (IFS) and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Male Wistar rats were exposed to the IFS protocol for a period of 6 days to induce PTSD. The PTSD-like behavior was tested using the open field test, elevated plus maze test, and Morris water maze test. The effects of minocycline on pro-inflammatory cytokines, activation of microglia, and NF-κB in the PFC and hippocampus were also examined. Treatment with minocycline significantly reversed the IFS induced behavioral and cognitive parameters (impaired learning and memory function) in stressed rats. Additionally, IFS was able to increase pro-inflammatory cytokines, activate microglia, and enhance NF-κB levels, while minocycline significantly reversed these alterations. Taken together, our results suggest that the anxiolytic effect of minocycline is related to its ability to decrease the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inhibit activation of microglia and NF-κB in the PFC and hippocampus.