Automatic detection of osteosarcoma based on integrated features and feature selection using binary arithmetic optimization algorithm.

Osteosarcoma is one of the most common malignant bone tumors mostly found in children and teenagers. Manual detection of osteosarcoma requires expertise and it is a labour-intensive process. If detected on time, the mortality rate can be reduced. With the advent of new technologies, automatic detection systems are used to analyse and classify medical images, which reduces the dependency on experts and leads to faster processing. In this paper, an automatic detection system: Integrated Features-Feature Selection Model for Classification (IF-FSM-C) to detect osteosarcoma from the high-resolution whole slide images (WSIs) is proposed. The novelty of the proposed approach is the use of integrated features obtained by fusion of features extracted using traditional handcrafted (HC) feature extraction techniques and deep learning models (DLMs) namely EfficientNet-B0 and Xception. To further improve the performance of the proposed system, feature selection (FS) is performed. Here, two binary variants of recently proposed Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm (AOA) known as BAOA-S and BAOA-V are proposed to perform FS. The selected features are given to a classifier that classifies the WSIs into Viable tumor (VT), Non-viable tumor (NVT) and non-tumor (NT). Experiments are performed to compare the performance of proposed IF-FSM-C to the classifiers which use HC or deep learning features alone as well as state-of-the-art methods for osteosarcoma detection. The best overall accuracy of 96.08% is obtained when integrated features extracted using HC techniques and Xception are used. The overall accuracy is enhanced to 99.54% after applying BAOA-S for FS. Further, the application of BAOA-S for FS reduces the number of features with the best model having only 188 features compared to 2118 features if no FS is applied.

Effect of pretreatment and biomass blending on bio-oil and biochar quality from two-step slow pyrolysis of rice straw.

This study investigated biomass blending and water washing to improve product quality from two-step pyrolysis of rice straw. Rice straw (RS) was mixed with groundnut shells (GNS) and wheat straw (WS) in different weight ratios. Blending RS with GNS/WS in a 1:1 ratio increased the total bio-oil yields by 7-9% and reduced the pyrolysis gas and char yields by 5-7% and < 2%, respectively. RS was washed with water separately to examine the effect of removing water-soluble ash elements. The optimum washing duration was 60 min; the ash removal efficiency was then 26%. The bio-oil yields from washed straw increased by 4% over unwashed straw, and pyrolysis gas yields decreased. Combining the washing and blending processes increased the levoglucosan yield by 1.6-2.1 times compared to unwashed RS, and the water content in bio-oil was reduced by âˆ¼ 10%. Moreover, the biochar samples obtained after pyrolysis of washed biomass blends had potential fuel applications owing to low fouling or slagging propensity. They also had possible use in the soil for adsorption of soil contaminants and increasing acidic soil pH, with likely stability of âˆ¼ 1000 years in the ground. These results provide a promising alternative for efficiently converting rice straw to multiple value-added products.

Seasonal characterization of municipal solid waste for selecting feasible waste treatment technology for Guwahati city, India.

As quantities and composition of municipal solid waste (MSW) vary significantly with seasons, a seasonal characterization study is critical for developing an efficient MSW management system. MSW was characterized in three different seasons for selecting an appropriate waste treatment and management strategy for Guwahati city. Results of the study shows that the major components of the MSW were organics (42.2%) and plastic wastes (25.2%), which show high variations on a seasonal basis (22-49%). The chemical characterization of MSW revealed that on seasonal basis moisture content varies between 43.4% and 58.3%, pH between 5.5 and 6.5, volatile solid content from 32.9 to 58.9%, and the calorific value between 1203 and 3015 kcal/kg. Waste collected in the present study was a mixture of organics, recyclables, and inert material which is difficult and uneconomical for treatment in its present form. However, with proper waste segregation, bio-methanation, and composting could be sustainable waste treatment solutions due to the high moisture and volatile content of the MSW. Due to inadequate quantity, low calorific values, requirement of skilled supervision, and high capital investment, the thermochemical conversion of MSW may not be economically feasible for the present case.Implications: Present study is a novel attempt to analyze in-depth variation in the municipal solid waste (MSW) composition and properties in different seasons and how does it influence the selection and feasibility of the available waste treatment technologies. Search on Google scholar shows that only seven articles have been published till now which evaluated seasonal impact of MSW. Out to these published studies only one study have calculated energy potential of MSW on seasonal basis which is mainly restricted to incineration only. In-depth analysis of seasonal variation on anaerobic digestion, composting, refuse derived fuel (RDF), pyrolysis, and gasification is yet to determine. Furthermore, to best of our knowledge so far in India there was no such in-depth study has been published related to seasonal variation in MSW on large scale (city level). Present study provides in-depth valuable information regarding degree of variation in MSW composition and how does it affect resource recovery out of waste, which was not studied before in-depth before. Outcomes of the present study will definitely assist engineers and policymaker involved MSW management and planning for large urban areas to fulfil their sustainability goals.

Effect of basic washing parameters on the chemical composition of empty fruit bunches during washing pretreatment: A detailed experimental, pilot, and kinetic study.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of basic washing parameters on the chemical composition of empty fruit bunches of oil palm (EFB) and to determine the optimal parameters for large-scale applications of washing pre-treatment. Three basic washing parameters were studied in detail: washing duration, temperature, and solid/liquid (S:L) ratio. The leaching kinetics of ash and troubling elements such as K, Cl, N, and S were also evaluated with respect to washing time. About 82-98% Cl, 64-80% S, 38-77% K, 34-67% ash, and 24-63% N removal was noted after washing EFB, which follows a second-order leaching kinetics on increasing washing duration. Two pilot washing tests were also conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the pre-treatment on a large scale, which showed similar trends as the laboratory results. The recommended EFB washing conditions for large-scale applications are 10 min washing with a 1:15 S:L ratio at 50 °C.

Step washing: A modified pretreatment approach for industrial applications to improve chemical composition of agricultural residues.

To improve the efficiency and applicability of the washing pre-treatment for combustion, pyrolysis and gasification, a modified approach was developed in the present study. Two novel washing approaches were tested using wheat straw and empty fruit bunches of oil palm: multiple-step washing with fresh water (SWFW) and wastewater recirculation (SWWR). SWFW showed the high removal of K (<68%), Cl (<99%), S (<80%), N (<58%), and ash (<52%) reducing fouling, slagging, and corrosion propensity of the biomass. Furthermore, with one-third the amount of water used in SWFW, SWWR showed similar to higher efficiency than SWFW with relatively better energy (98%) yields. Industrial-scale pilot testing was also conducted for the validation of the SWWR approach, which showed similar findings as the lab-scale results. The effect of a high washing temperature and pressing on washing efficiency and characterisation of wastewater was also determined. Overall, SWWR with pressing is recommended for industrial applications.

Using night time lights to find regional inequality in India and its relationship with economic development.

Due to unavailability of consistent income data at the sub-state or district level in developing countries, it is difficult to generate consistent and reliable economic inequality estimates at the disaggregated level. To address this issue, this paper employs the association between night time lights and economic activities for India at the sub-state or district-level, and calculates regional income inequality using Gini coefficients. Additionally, we estimate the relationship between night time lights and socio-economic development for regions in India. We employ a newly available data on regional socio-economic development (Social Progress Index), as well as an index that represents institutional quality or governance. Robust to the choice of socio-economic development indicators, our findings indicate that regional inequality measured by night time lights follow the Kuznets curve pattern. This implies that starting from low levels of socio-economic development or quality of institutions, inequality rises as regional socio-economic factors or quality of institutions improve, and with subsequent progress in socio-economic factors or quality of institutions, regional inequality declines.

Physicochemical and elemental analyses of sandstone quarrying wastes to assess their impact on soil properties.

The use of sandstone as a building material has increased around the world and sandstone quarrying and its wastes pose a potential threat to human health and the environment. More than 50% of the excavated stone is wasted in the form of scrap stone and waste slurry during sandstone quarrying and processing. Sandstone wastes can adversely change native soil properties and should be reused as construction material. The present study aimed to characterise wastes generated during sandstone quarrying and processing, assess their impact on the soil environment and explore their reuse potential. The results of this study show that fine slurry waste has physicochemical properties between sand and sandy loam while the properties of the slurry solids and scrap stone are similar to those of sandstone. Fine stone waste on intrusion into soil reduced the hydraulic conductivity and porosity of soil potentially reducing its productivity. The liquid stone slurry contained metals like Mn, Ni and As at concentrations higher than drinking water standards. These metals may contaminate water sources and affect human health. Therefore, the use of stone wastes as aggregate for road and building construction would be beneficial and would reduce their adverse impacts on the environment.

Open-Loop Control of Oxidative Phosphorylation in Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle Mitochondria by Ca(2.).

In cardiac muscle, mitochondrial ATP synthesis is driven by demand for ATP through feedback from the products of ATP hydrolysis. However, in skeletal muscle at higher workloads there is an apparent contribution of open-loop stimulation of ATP synthesis. Open-loop control is defined as modulation of flux through a biochemical pathway by a moiety, which is not a reactant or a product of the biochemical reactions in the pathway. The role of calcium, which is known to stimulate the activity of mitochondrial dehydrogenases, as an open-loop controller, was investigated in isolated cardiac and skeletal muscle mitochondria. The kinetics of NADH synthesis and respiration, feedback from ATP hydrolysis products, and stimulation by calcium were characterized in isolated mitochondria to test the hypothesis that calcium has a stimulatory role in skeletal muscle mitochondria not apparent in cardiac mitochondria. A range of respiratory states were obtained in cardiac and skeletal muscle mitochondria utilizing physiologically relevant concentrations of pyruvate and malate, and flux of respiration, NAD(P)H fluorescence, and rhodamine 123 fluorescence were measured over a range of extra mitochondrial calcium concentrations. We found that under these conditions calcium stimulates NADH synthesis in skeletal muscle mitochondria but not in cardiac mitochondria.

Toward peptide nucleic acid (PNA) directed peptide translation using ester based aminoacyl transfer.

Peptide synthesis is a fundamental feature of life. However, it still remains unclear how the contemporary translation apparatus evolved from primitive prebiotic systems and at which stage of the evolution peptide synthesis emerged. Using simple molecular architectures, in which aminoacyl transfer of phenylalanine occurs either between two ends of a PNA stem loop structure, between two PNAs in a duplex, or between two PNAs assembled on a PNA template, we show that bona fide template instructed phenylalanine transfer can take place. Thus, we have identified conditions which allow template assisted intermolecular aminoacyl transfer using simple ester aminolysis chemistry primitively analogous to the ribosomal peptidyl transferase reaction in the absence of anchimeric assistance from ribose and ribosome catalysis. These results help define the minimum chemical boundary conditions for the translation process and also give insight into the possibilities for the prebiotic emergence of RNA-independent translation.

Cross-catalytic peptide nucleic acid (PNA) replication based on templated ligation.

We report the first PNA self-replicating system based on template directed cross-catalytic ligation, a process analogous to biological replication. Using two template PNAs and four pentameric precursor PNAs, all four possible carbodiimide assisted amide ligation products were detected and identified by HPLC and MALDI-TOF analysis. We conclude that the two template complementary reaction products are generated via cross-catalysis, while the other two self-complementary (and in principle auto-catalytic) products are formed via intra-complex coupling between the two sets of complementary PNA precursors. Cross-catalytic product formation followed product inhibited kinetics, but approximately two replication rounds were observed. Analogous but less efficient replication was found for a similar tetrameric system. These results demonstrate that simpler nucleobase replication systems than natural oligonucleotides are feasible, thereby strengthening the foundation for the discussion of a possible role for PNA (like) genetic material in the prebiotic evolution of life and lay the ground for further studies into evolution of such potentially prebiotic systems.

Neonatal thrombocytopenia and platelets transfusion.

BACKGROUND: Neonates often develop thrombocytopenia at some time during hospital stay. Platelet transfusion are frequently given to them and are likely to result in unnecessary transfusion. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thus, we analyzed thrombocytopenia in neonates, its prevalence, and relationship if any, between clinical condition and platelet transfusion in neonates, which would have been helpful in developing guidelines and/or protocols for platelet transfusion (and reducing the donor exposure) in neonates. RESULTS: A total of 870 neonates who were admitted in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with various morbidities had platelets count done; of these, 146 (16.7%) neonate revealed thrombocytopenia. DISCUSSION: Low birth weight babies (P 0.009) and babies born with mother having hypertension (P 0.04) showed significant thrombocytopenia. Neonates with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) diagnosed during antenatal screening showed lower platelet count (P 0.022). Neonates having associated illness, such as sepsis, gastrointestinal, and respiratory problems, and on vasopressor drugs were found to be associated with low platelet count. CONCLUSION: In our study, 16.40% of thrombocytopenic neonates required platelet transfusion either alone or with other blood component during their stay in NICU.

Germinating seeds of the mung bean, Vigna radiata (Fabaceae), as a model for the preliminary evaluation of cytotoxic effects of drugs.

Cytotoxic properties of plant extracts and drugs being developed for cancer treatment are usually evaluated by a variety of in vivo and in vitro tests carried out in animal or plant based models. In the present study we have evaluated the possibility of using the germinating mung beans (Vigna radiata), for rapid and inexpensive screening of drugs exhibiting cytotoxic properties. Mung beans were allowed to germinate either in tap water or in different drug solutions, and parameters like percent germination, increase in radicle length, change in seedling weight and mitotic index of apical root meristems were determined at two time intervals coinciding with the time at which the radicle length in control group was 1.0 to 1.5 cm (time 0, T0) and 48 h later (T48). Methanol extract of Calotropis procera latex as well as drugs like podophyllotoxin, cyclophosphamide, cyproheptadine and aspirin produced a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on seed germination, seed weight gain, radicle growth and mitotic index in the radicle meristems. The inhibitory effect of some of the drugs tested was associated with reduction in water imbibition. Some of the drugs at higher concentrations allowed seed germination to take place but produced radicle decay and seedling weight loss. Our study shows that germinating V radiata beans could be used as a convenient model for the preliminary screening of drugs exhibiting cytotoxic properties.

Germinating seeds of the mung bean, Vigna radiata (Fabaceae), as a model for the preliminary evaluation of cytotoxic effects of drugs

Cytotoxic properties of plant extracts and drugs being developed for cancer treatment are usually evaluated by a variety of in vivo and in vitro tests carried out in animal or plant based models. In the present study we have evaluated the possibility of using the germinating mung beans (Vigna radiata), for rapid and inexpensive screening of drugs exhibiting cytotoxic properties. Mung beans were allowed to germinate either in tap water or in different drug solutions, and parameters like percent germination, increase in radicle length, change in seedling weight and mitotic index of apical root meristems were determined at two time intervals coinciding with the time at which the radicle length in control group was 1.0 to 1.5 cm (time 0, T0) and 48 h later (T48). Methanol extract of Calotropis procera latex as well as drugs like podophyllotoxin, cyclophosphamide, cyproheptadine and aspirin produced a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on seed germination, seed weight gain, radicle growth and mitotic index in the radicle meristems. The inhibitory effect of some of the drugs tested was associated with reduction in water imbibition. Some of the drugs at higher concentrations allowed seed germination to take place but produced radicle decay and seedling weight loss. Our study shows that germinating V radiata beans could be used as a convenient model for the preliminary screening of drugs exhibiting cytotoxic properties.

Germinating seeds of the mung bean, Vigna radiata (Fabaceae), as a model for the preliminary evaluation of cytotoxic effects of drugs

Cytotoxic properties of plant extracts and drugs being developed for cancer treatment are usually evaluated by a variety of in vivo and in vitro tests carried out in animal or plant based models. In the present study we have evaluated the possibility of using the germinating mung beans (Vigna radiata), for rapid and inexpensive screening of drugs exhibiting cytotoxic properties. Mung beans were allowed to germinate either in tap water or in different drug solutions, and parameters like percent germination, increase in radicle length, change in seedling weight and mitotic index of apical root meristems were determined at two time intervals coinciding with the time at which the radicle length in control group was 1.0 to 1.5 cm (time 0, T0) and 48 h later (T48). Methanol extract of Calotropis procera latex as well as drugs like podophyllotoxin, cyclophosphamide, cyproheptadine and aspirin produced a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on seed germination, seed weight gain, radicle growth and mitotic index in the radicle meristems. The inhibitory effect of some of the drugs tested was associated with reduction in water imbibition. Some of the drugs at higher concentrations allowed seed germination to take place but produced radicle decay and seedling weight loss. Our study shows that germinating V radiata beans could be used as a convenient model for the preliminary screening of drugs exhibiting cytotoxic properties.(AU)