Segmentation of Optic Disc and Cup Using Modified Recurrent Neural Network.

Glaucoma is one of the leading factors of vision loss, where the people tends to lose their vision quickly. The examination of cup-to-disc ratio is considered essential in diagnosing glaucoma. It is hence regarded that the segmentation of optic disc and cup is useful in finding the ratio. In this paper, we develop an extraction and segmentation of optic disc and cup from an input eye image using modified recurrent neural networks (mRNN). The mRNN use the combination of recurrent neural network (RNN) with fully convolutional network (FCN) that exploits the intra- and interslice contexts. The FCN extracts the contents from an input image by constructing a feature map for the intra- and interslice contexts. This is carried out to extract the relevant information, where RNN concentrates more on interslice context. The simulation is conducted to test the efficacy of the model that integrates the contextual information for optimal segmentation of optical cup and disc. The results of simulation show that the proposed method mRNN is efficient in improving the rate of segmentation than the other deep learning models like Drive, STARE, MESSIDOR, ORIGA, and DIARETDB.

Tuberculous lymphadenitis is associated with altered levels of circulating angiogenic factors.

BACKGROUND: Angiogenic factors are important in granuloma formation and serve as biomarkers in pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). The relationship between these markers and tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBL) is not known. OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: To examine the association of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiopoietin (Ang) family molecules in TBL, we measured systemic levels of VEGF-A, C, D, R1 (VEGF-receptor 1), R2, R3, Ang-1, Ang-2 and TIE2 (tyrosine kinase with immunoglobulin-like and epidermal growth factor-like domains 2) levels in TBL, latent tuberculous infection (LTBI) and lymph node culture supernatants (VEGF-A, C and Ang-2) of the same TBL patients. RESULTS: Circulating levels of VEGF-A and VEGF-C were significantly diminished, whereas VEGF-R2, R3, Ang-2 and TIE2 levels were significantly increased, in TBL. Likewise, VEGF-A, C and Ang-2 levels were significantly increased in lymph node supernatants compared with plasma in individuals with TBL. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that VEGF-C and VEGF-R2 markers clearly distinguished TBL from LTBI. Following treatment, VEGF-C and Ang-1 levels were significantly altered. No association was observed between angiogenic factors and culture grade or lymph node size, except for VEGF-A. VEGF-A was also significantly decreased in multiple lymph nodes compared with single lymph nodes. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that altered levels of circulating angiogenic factors in TBL might reflect underlying vasculo-endothelial dysfunction. Reversal of angiogenic markers after anti-tuberculosis treatment suggests that these angiogenic markers may serve as biomarkers of disease severity or response to treatment in TBL.

Drug-induced thrombocytopenic purpura.

Drug-induced thrombocytopenic purpura is a skin condition result from a low platelet count due to drug-induced anti-platelet antibodies caused by drugs. Drug-induced thrombocytopenic purpura should be suspected when a patient, child or adult, has sudden, severe thrombocytopenia. Drug-induced thrombocytopenic purpura is even more strongly suspected when a patient has repeated episodes of sudden, severe thrombocytopenia.

Are we justified in treating for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis based on positive follow-up smear results?

SETTING: National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, India. OBJECTIVE: To assess, among new culture-confirmed smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients, the proportion of follow-up smear-positives that were culture-negative (S+C-) by month of follow-up examination, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, pre-treatment drug susceptibility status and smear grading. DESIGN: We extracted follow-up smear (fluorescence microscopy) and culture (Löwenstein-Jensen) results of patients enrolled in clinical trials from January 2000 to August 2012 and treated with the WHO Category I regimen (2EHRZ3/4HR3). RESULTS: Of 520 patients, including 176 who were HIV-infected, respectively 199, 81, 47 and 43 were smear-positive at months 2, 4, 5 and 6; of these, respectively 138 (69%), 62 (75%), 32 (68%) and 27 (63%) were culture-negative. The S+C- phenomenon was more pronounced among '1+ positive' patients than in 2+ or 3+ positive patients and in 'pan-susceptible' patients than in those with any resistance, and did not vary by HIV status. CONCLUSION: Nearly two thirds of patients with follow-up smears positive at months 5 and 6 were culture-negative. Starting multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) treatment empirically based on smear results, even in resource-limited settings, is incorrect and can have hazardous consequences. There is an urgent need to revisit the WHO recommendation concerning empirical MDR-TB treatment.

Cu-catalyzed in situ generation of thiol using xanthate as a thiol surrogate for the one-pot synthesis of benzothiazoles and benzothiophenes.

A new copper-catalyzed in situ generation of aryl thiolates strategy was successfully developed for the one-pot synthesis of substituted benzothiazoles from 2-iodoanilides using xanthate as a thiol precursor. A wide range of 2-iodoanilides with both electron-releasing and electron-withdrawing groups produced the corresponding benzothiazoles in good yields. Further, this one-pot protocol was successfully utilized for the synthesis of a potent antitumor agent 2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-5-fluorobenzo[d]thiazole (PMX 610). Finally, the copper-catalyzed in situ generation of aryl thiolates strategy was successfully applied for the domino synthesis of substituted benzothiophenes from o-haloalkynyl benzenes using xanthate as a thiol precursor.

Highly stereoselective chlorination of beta-substituted cyclic alcohols using PPh3-NCS: factors that control the stereoselectivity.

A variety of trans-beta-substituted cyclic alcohols were stereoselectively chlorinated to either the corresponding cis-chloride or trans-chloride (inversion or retention of configuration) with good to excellent yields; the stereochemical outcome is determined by the size of the ring and the nature of the beta-substituents, especially the electronegativity of the substituted atom.

Dengue disease spectrum among infants in the 2001 dengue epidemic in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

An investigation in a referral pediatric hospital has indicated that during a recent dengue outbreak in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dengue in infancy constituted 20% of total dengue virus infections with low mortality rates in this hospital. In developing countries, strengthening of dengue management capabilities at hospitals can prevent dengue-related deaths in infants.