Accurate Liver Fibrosis Detection Through Hybrid MRMR-BiLSTM-CNN Architecture with Histogram Equalization and Optimization.

The early detection and accurate diagnosis of liver fibrosis, a progressive and potentially serious liver condition, are crucial for effective medical intervention. Invasive methods like biopsies for diagnosis can be risky and expensive. This research presents a novel computer-aided diagnosis model for liver fibrosis using a hybrid approach of minimum redundancy maximum relevance (MRMR) feature selection, bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM), and convolutional neural networks (CNN). The proposed model involves multiple stages, including image acquisition, preprocessing, feature representation, fibrous tissue identification, and classification. Notably, histogram equalization is employed to enhance image quality by addressing variations in brightness levels. Performance evaluation encompasses a range of metrics such as accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, F1 score, and error rate. Comparative analyses with established methods like DCNN, ANN-FLI, LungNet22, and SDAE-GAN underscore the efficacy of the proposed model. The innovative integration of hybrid MRMR-BiLSTM-CNN architecture and the horse herd optimization algorithm significantly enhances accuracy and F1 score, even with small datasets. The model tackles the complexities of hyperparameter optimization through the IHO algorithm and reduces training time by leveraging MRMR feature selection. In practical application, the proposed hybrid MRMR-BiLSTM-CNN method demonstrates remarkable performance with a 97.8% accuracy rate in identifying liver fibrosis images. It exhibits high precision, sensitivity, specificity, and minimal error rate, showcasing its potential for accurate and non-invasive diagnosis.

Spectrum of malignant scalp tumours and its impact on management-a tertiary care cancer centre experience.

BACKGROUND: Tumours on the scalp are diverse and often exhibit site- and histology-specific characteristics. Reconstructing the scalp after oncological resection has always been challenging because of its unique anatomy. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective review of patients with malignant scalp tumour operated on at a single institution over 10 years was performed. Data were collected and analysed regarding the scalp tumour profile, treatment, and the outcome of these procedures. RESULTS: Of the 66 patients in our study, 33 (50%) had SCC. In addition to this, 21% were sarcomas, 17% were appendageal carcinomas, 11% were BCCs, and 1% was neuroendocrine carcinoma. Cortical erosion was observed in 6 patients in the CT imaging, all with SCC histology. Among the eight patients with pathological nodal involvement, three had angiosarcoma, three had SCC, one had appendageal carcinoma, and one had neuroendocrine carcinoma. The mean surgical defect size was 67.4 cm2. The surgical defect was reconstructed with local flaps in 58% of patients and primary closure in 27%. Local and systemic recurrence was noted in 25% of patients. Tumour size more than 6 cm, tumour histology (SCC & sarcoma), unplanned margin-positive excision, and residual disease in re-excision had higher recurrence, even though the p-value was not significant. CONCLUSION: Scalp tumours are heterogeneous in their clinical profiles. Often, its tumour biology and microscopic extent are underestimated. High suspicion, histological diagnosis, and clear surgical margins are all requirements in successfully treating scalp tumours. In order to minimize morbidity and restore an aesthetic and functional outcome, it is critical to use the simplest scalp reconstruction whenever possible.

Impact of COVID-19 on Disease Progression and Postoperative Complications in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a remarkable challenge for the healthcare system. The delayed presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of head and neck cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to adversely affect outcomes. COVIDSurg collaborative group in 2020 concluded surgery ≥ 4 weeks after a positive COVID-19 swab result was associated with a lower risk of postoperative mortality. The aim of this study is to assess the disease progression due to COVID-19 infection in patients with head and neck cancer planned for surgery and to analyze the postoperative complications in head and neck cancer patients who underwent surgery after COVID-19 infection. This is an ambispective observational study and included patients with head and neck cancer who recovered from COVID-19 infection and underwent surgery from June 2020 to May 2022. There were a total of 1849 patients with head and neck cancer operated in the mentioned study period during COVID-19 pandemic. One hundred fifty-nine patients had documented COVID-19 infection. One hundred two patients had oral cavity carcinoma (64%), and 38 patients had thyroid carcinoma (23.8%). Early disease was noted in 49 patients (30.8%) and locally advanced disease in 108 patients (67.9%). Mean duration of delay in surgery was 4 weeks. Disease progression was noted in 27 patients (17%) out of which 15 patients were inoperable. Thirty-seven out of 159 patients (23%) had postoperative complications, and it included 2 mortality. There was increased trend noted in pulmonary complications and hemorrhage when compared to pre-COVID-19 era. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, delayed elective head and neck cancer surgery has resulted in higher rates of inoperability. COVID-19 has been associated with increased postoperative pulmonary complications and hemorrhage.

Interface driven energy-filtering and phonon scattering of polyaniline incorporated ultrathin layered molybdenum disulphide nanosheets for promising thermoelectric performance.

The hybrid of organic conducting polymers and inorganic materials with ultralow thermal conductivity, which is a promising strategy for the realization of polymer based effective thermoelectric (TE) applications. In this work, ultrathin layered molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) nanosheets/PANI nanocomposites are prepared by hydrothermal route. The effect of varying PANI wt% in the nanocomposites and its interface effect on thermoelectric properties are well investigated. The successful incorporation of PANI between the MoS2 layers confirmed by high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The significantly enhanced potential difference of MoS2/ PANI nanocomposites with increasing PANI content is well clarified by the increased Seebeck value. The variable range hopping property is identified and conductivity is raised up highly due to insertion of PANI in layered van der Waal's gap of MoS2. The effective interface facilitates charge for fast transport. The reduced thermal conductivity is observed of about 0.248 W*m-1*K-1 for 2.5 wt% addition of PANI. The key factor is that the stability of the sample is improved for MoS2/ PANI nanocomposites than pristine MoS2. Our work paved a new approach to improve TE performance by preparing TE MoS2 material through simple chemical route.

Comparing the Efficacy of Three Minimally Invasive Techniques on Demineralized Dentin in Primary Teeth and Evaluating Its Residual Dentin and Microhardness Levels: An In Vitro Study.

AIM: This study aims to compare the caries removal efficacy of three minimally invasive techniques and to analyze qualitatively under stereomicroscopy and quantitatively using Vickers hardness test. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty non-carious anterior primary teeth were selected and subjected to demineralization and the same was confirmed using RadioVisioGraphy (RVG). Samples were divided into three groups: Bromelain gel, smart bur, and atraumatic restorative technique (ART). Caries removal was carried out for a time period of 2 minutes. The remaining demineralized dentin was measured using stereomicroscopy. Random dentin blocks were prepared and a microhardness test was conducted. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Data were subjected to statistical analysis by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. RESULTS: Stereomicroscopic analysis revealed bromelain gel and smart burs to be superior to ART. Bromelain gel was found to have comparable microhardness levels as healthy dentin. Statistically significant (p < 0.001) results were obtained. CONCLUSION: In terms of caries removal and microhardness, bromelain gel was highly efficient when compared to other groups. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Fear and anxiety of children and parents about conventional drills led to the emerging trends of minimally invasive restorative dentistry. This research indicated the use of bromelain gel and smart bur in the process of caries removal and that bromelain was more efficient when compared to other groups. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Abinaya R, Nagar P, Urs Pallavi, et al. Comparing the Efficacy of Three Minimally Invasive Techniques on Demineralized Dentin in Primary Teeth and Evaluating Its Residual Dentin and Microhardness Levels: An In Vitro Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2020;13(6):585-589.

The effect of fennel seeds on pH of saliva - A clinical study.

CONTEXT: Saliva is an oral fluid that gives a protective effect against dental caries. Chewing of fennel seeds after food is a common culture in the Indian Sub-continent. A review of previous studies on fennel seeds showed that some of them have an anti-microbial efficacy, but there are no extensive data available on the effect of chewing fennel seeds on the pH of saliva. AIM: The aim of the study was to record the baseline pH of saliva and to record the changes in salivary pH after chewing fennel seeds. SETTING AND DESIGN: The study was carried out in the Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai, prior to which a pilot study was carried out. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Voluntary enrolment of 30 individuals was done. A written and informed consent was obtained from the individuals prior to the study. The pH of the saliva was recorded by placing the standardized salivary strip below the tongue in the oral cavity and colour changes were matched with the pH scale colour chart within about 15 sec. The subjects were asked to chew fennel seeds for 5 min. Salivary pH was measured immediately after chewing (SP2) at 0 min and the experiment was repeated for 5 min (SP3), 10 min (SP4), 15 min (SP5) and 30 min (SP6). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The data was gathered and analysed using paired t test. RESULTS: There was an increase in salivary pH from baseline (SP1) to 0 min (SP2) was found to be highly significant (P = 0.000). The mean salivary pH reduced to 7.64 ± 0.06, 5 min after chewing the seeds (SP3) and the drop in pH was found to be highly significant (P = 0.000). The subsequent drop in pH from 10 min (SP4), 7.50 ± 0.05 to 15 min (SP4), 7.38 ± 0.05 to 30 min (SP4), 7.24 ± 0.05 were found to be highly significant as well (P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: Chewing of fennel seeds increases the pH of saliva, thus making it a suitable anti-cariogenic agent.

Abdominal Surgical Emergencies in Patients with Hematological Disorders: An Exacting Experience for Surgeons.

Management of surgical emergencies in patients with underlying hematological disorder is challenging due to increased incidence of peri-operative morbidity. We report two cases of abdominal surgical emergencies with pre-existing hematological conditions. The first case report is that of a patient diagnosed with pelvic abscess in a previously diagnosed case of Glanzmann's thrombasthenia and the second is a case of intestinal infarction previously diagnosed with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).

Ultrathin layered MoS2 nanosheets with rich active sites for enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity.

Edge-rich active sites of ultrathin layered molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) nanosheets were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. The effect of pH on the formation of MoS2 nanosheets and their photocatalytic response have been investigated. Structural and elemental analysis confirm the presence of S-Mo-S in the composition. Morphological analysis confirms the presence of ultrathin layered nanosheets with a sheet thickness of 10-28 nm at pH 1. The interplanar spacing of MoS2 layers is in good agreement with the X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy results. A comparative study of the photocatalytic performance for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) by ultrathin layered MoS2 under visible light irradiation was performed. The photocatalytic activity of the edge-rich ultrathin layered nanosheets showed a fast response time of 36 min with the degradation rate of 95.3% of MB and 41.1% of RhB. The photocatalytic degradation of MB was superior to that of RhB because of the excellent adsorption of MB than that of RhB. Photogenerated superoxide radicals were the key active species for the decomposition of organic compounds present in water, as evidenced by scavenger studies.