Fundus image classification using Inception V3 and ResNet-50 for the early diagnostics of fundus diseases.

Purpose: We aim to present effective and computer aided diagnostics in the field of ophthalmology and improve eye health. This study aims to create an automated deep learning based system for categorizing fundus images into three classes: normal, macular degeneration and tessellated fundus for the timely recognition and treatment of diabetic retinopathy and other diseases. Methods: A total of 1,032 fundus images were collected from 516 patients using fundus camera from Health Management Center, Shenzhen University General Hospital Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China. Then, Inception V3 and ResNet-50 deep learning models are used to classify fundus images into three classes, Normal, Macular degeneration and tessellated fundus for the timely recognition and treatment of fundus diseases. Results: The experimental results show that the effect of model recognition is the best when the Adam is used as optimizer method, the number of iterations is 150, and 0.00 as the learning rate. According to our proposed approach we, achieved the highest accuracy of 93.81% and 91.76% by using ResNet-50 and Inception V3 after fine-tuned and adjusted hyper parameters according to our classification problem. Conclusion: Our research provides a reference to the clinical diagnosis or screening for diabetic retinopathy and other eye diseases. Our suggested computer aided diagnostics framework will prevent incorrect diagnoses caused by the low image quality and individual experience, and other factors. In future implementations, the ophthalmologists can implement more advanced learning algorithms to improve the accuracy of diagnosis.

Associations of pro-protein convertase subtilisin-like kexin type 9, soluble low-density lipoprotein receptor and coronary artery disease: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) is the primary pathway for removal of cholesterol from the circulation, pro-protein convertase subtilisin-like kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a secreted protease that binds to and promotes degradation of the LDLR protein. The goal of this case-control study was to investigate the role of soluble LDLR (sLDLR) and PCSK9 in coronary artery disease (CAD) and investigate the relationship between these two indices and CAD. METHODS: In a sample of 144 Chinese patients recruited between January 2018 and August 2018, 81 cases with mild and severe stenosis characterized by coronary angiograph (CAG) and 63 healthy controls were selected using the propensity score matching (PSM) based on demographics and medical history. sLDLR and PCSK9 concentrations were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Immuno-precipitation (IP) and western blotting. Multivariable logistic models were used to assess the associations between the degree of coronary artery stenosis and the biomarkers of interest. RESULTS: Higher PCSK9 was found to be a significant predictor of coronary artery stenosis when comparing cases who had severe stenosis vs. controls (OR=1.016, 95%CI: 1.009, 1.024), and cases who had mild stenosis vs. controls (OR=1.009, 95%CI: 1.003, 1.015). sLDLR was positively corrected with PCSK9, which confounded the association between CAD and PCSK9. Compared to patients with mild-stenosis, patients with severe-stenosis also showed a higher level of PCSK9 (OR=1.007, 95%CI: 1.001, 1.013). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that elevated PSCK9 may contribute to the odds of developing CAD, with a higher degree of coronary artery stenosis.

Electroimmunodetection of cardiac C-reactive protein for determining myocardial Injury.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute phase reactant to be a marker of inflammation and has been correlated with the cardiac injury. An immunoassay was performed using anti-human CRP antibody on an InterDigitated electrode (IDE) sensor to determine and specify CRP concentration for diagnosing the condition of myocardial inflammation. To promote the detection, gold nanoparticle (GNP) was seeded on the aminated-IDE surface. Anti-CRP was hitched on the GNP-seeded surface and identified the abundance of CRP. The limit of quantification was found as 100 fM, and the higher current response was noticed by increasing CRP concentrations with the sensitivity at 1 pM. Furthermore, CRP-spiked human serum did not interfere the determination of CRP and increased the current response, indicating suitability for a real-life sample. Similarly, the control experiments with nonimmune antibody Troponin I are not showing the definite current responses, proving the selective identification of CRP. This method of diagnosing is needful to determine the cardiovascular injury at the right time.

Impact of Cinnamon Supplementation on cardiometabolic Biomarkers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: To date, cinnamon supplementation has been investigated due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Several studies have confirmed the effects of cinnamon supplementation on several markers of cardiometabolic health. However, the effects of cinnamon supplementation on inflammation and oxidative stress levels warrant further investigation. Hence, the current meta-analysis was conducted to elucidate the impact of cinnamon supplementation on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress. METHODS: To perform this systematic review and meta-analysis, we employed the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The systematic search of available clinical trials was performed using the following databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar, up to January 2020. RESULTS: After removing the duplicates, 1145 studies were eligible for analysis and 12 of them were included in the meta-analysis. The dose of cinnamon powder investigated in the included trials ranged from 1.5 to 4 g/day. Cinnamon supplementation resulted in a significant reduction of C-reactive protein (CRP) (weight mean difference (WMD): -2.22 mg/L, 95 % CI: -3.74, -0.69, P = 0.004) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (WMD: -0.79 mmol/L, 95 % CI: -1.28, -0.29, P = 0.002), and marginally statistical significant decrease in interleukin-6 (IL-6) (WMD: -1.48 pg/mL, 95 % CI: -2.96, -0.01, P = 0.049). Moreover, it was associated with an increase in the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (WMD: 0.34 mmol/L, 95 % CI: 0.04, 0.64, P = 0.026). However, the levels of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) (WMD: 1.53 ng/mL, 95 % CI: -12.03, 15.10, P = 0.82) did not change significantly following cinnamon supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: Cinnamon supplementation may be an adjuvant for reducing inflammation and oxidative stress levels in humans.