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Advanced retinal disease detection from OCT images using a hybrid squeeze and excitation enhanced model
Background Retinal problems are critical because they can cause severe vision loss if not treated. Traditional methods for diagnosing retinal disorders often rely heavily on manual interpretation of optical coherence tomography (OCT) images, which can be time-consuming and dependent on the expertise of ophthalmologists. This leads to challenges in early diagnosis, especially as retinal diseases like diabetic macular edema (DME), Drusen, and Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) become more prevalent. OCT helps ophthalmologists diagnose patients more accurately by allowing for early detection. This paper offers a hybrid SE (Squeeze-and-Excitation)-Enhanced Hybrid Model for detecting retinal disorders from OCT images, including DME, Drusen, and CNV, using artificial intelligence and deep learning. Methods The model integrates SE blocks with EfficientNetB0 and Xception architectures, which provide high success in image classification tasks. EfficientNetB0 achieves high accuracy with fewer parameters through model scaling strategies, while Xception offers powerful feature extraction using deep separable convolutions. The combination of these architectures enhances both the efficiency and classification performance of the model, enabling more accurate detection of retinal disorders from OCT images. Additionally, SE blocks increase the representational ability of the network by adaptively recalibrating per-channel feature responses. Results The combined features from EfficientNetB0 and Xception are processed via fully connected layers and categorized using the Softmax algorithm. The methodology was tested on UCSD and Duke’s OCT datasets and produced excellent results. The proposed SE-Improved Hybrid Model outperformed the current best-known approaches, with accuracy rates of 99.58% on the UCSD dataset and 99.18% on the Duke dataset. Conclusion These findings emphasize the model’s ability to effectively diagnose retinal disorders using OCT images and indicate substantial promise for the development of computer-aided diagnostic tools in the field of ophthalmology.
Gen inhibiting the Wnt/Ca2+ signaling pathway alleviates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury
The long-term and short-term effects of interest rate volatility on corporate bankruptcy risk: An industry and supply chain perspective
While higher interest rates increase the cost of credit financing for businesses, this study finds that the direct impact of this traditional credit transmission mechanism on corporate bankruptcy risk is limited. Instead, our research reveals that changes in corporate behavior induced by rising debt financing costs are the root cause of bankruptcy risk. In the short term, an increase in interest rates drives businesses to substitute supply chain financing for credit financing in pursuit of profit maximization. This mismatch of short-term debt and long-term investments undermines the sustainability of the supply chain, ultimately reducing financial security—sacrificing safety for profitability. In the long term, higher interest rates exacerbate the overcapacity problem in industries, increasing the unsustainability of the production and sales balance. Using data from China’s construction industry, this study empirically tests these findings and, based on the main conclusions, provides policy suggestions regarding the long- and short-term effects of monetary policy on the sustainable development of China’s construction industry: (1) focus on short-term interest rate risks and be vigilant against commercial credit bubbles; (2) long-term monetary policy should prioritize industrial structure optimization.
A deep learning approach for automatic 3D segmentation of hip cartilage and labrum from direct hip MR arthrography
Abstract The objective was to use convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for automatic segmentation of hip cartilage and labrum based on 3D MRI. In this retrospective single-center study, CNNs with a U-Net architecture were used to develop a fully automated segmentation model for hip cartilage and labrum from MRI. Direct hip MR arthrographies (01/2020-10/2021) were selected from 100 symptomatic patients. Institutional routine protocol included a 3D T1 mapping sequence, which was used for manual segmentation of hip cartilage and labrum. 80 hips were used for training and the remaining 20 for testing. Model performance was assessed with six evaluation metrics including Dice similarity coefficient (DSC). In addition, model performance was tested on an external dataset (40 patients) with a 3D T2-weighted sequence from a different institution. Inter-rater agreement of manual segmentation served as benchmark for automatic segmentation performance. 100 patients were included (mean age 30 ± 10 years, 64% female patients). Mean DSC for cartilage was 0.92 ± 0.02 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92–0.93) and 0.83 ± 0.04 (0.81–0.85) for labrum and comparable ( p = 0.232 and 0.297, respectively) to inter-rater agreement of manual segmentation: DSC cartilage 0.93 ± 0.04 (0.92–0.95); DSC labrum 0.82 ± 0.05 (0.80–0.85). When tested on the external dataset, the DSC was 0.89 ± 0.02 (0.88–0.90) and 0.71 ± 0.04 (0.69–0.73) for cartilage and labrum, respectively.The presented deep learning approach accurately segments hip cartilage and labrum from 3D MRI sequences and can potentially be used in clinical practice to provide rapid and accurate 3D MRI models.
Body image and appearance distress among military veterans and civilians with an injury-related visible difference: A comparison study
Injuries sustained during military conflict can significantly impact appearance. Yet, little is known about the psychosocial experiences of veterans with conflict-related appearance-altering injuries (AAI) and whether current civilian interventions are appropriate for this group. To inform the development of acceptable and effective support for veterans with appearance–related psychosocial difficulties, this study aimed to identify factors associated with psychosocial adjustment to an altered appearance among both veterans and civilians with AAI. A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 121 veterans and 197 civilians who had sustained AAI. Multivariable regression was used to examine factors related to adjustment in the two groups. Overall, both groups reported similar experiences, with some key exceptions. Veterans reported significantly greater depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, significantly lower Body Image (BI) psychological flexibility, BI life engagement, and higher perceived appearance-related stigma. BI psychological flexibility was identified as a key predictor of appearance-related outcomes in both groups. Self-compassion predicted social anxiety and depression symptoms in both groups, but only appearance outcomes among civilians. Based on these identified associated factors, it is suggested that both groups, but particularly veterans, may benefit from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based intervention, including explicit self-compassion activities, and practical social skills training.
Global trends and epidemiological impact of metabolic risk factors on atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter from 1990 to 2021
Abstract Atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL) are cardiac arrhythmias associated with high morbidity and mortality. This cross-sectional observational study assesses the epidemiological burden of AF/AFL concerning metabolic risk factors using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 database. Age-standardized disability-adjusted life years rate (ASDR), mortality, and estimated annual percentage change were calculated. The Bayesian Age-Period-Cohort model was utilized to predict future trends in ASDR and age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) for AF/AFL 2030. Between 1990 and 2021, ASDR rose from 34.22 to 34.94, whereas ASMR increased from 1.46 to 1.50 per 100,000 people. High/high–middle Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) regions showed decreasing trends in ASDR and ASMR, whereas low and middle SDI regions showed increasing trends. In 2021, the highest ASDR and ASMR were recorded in Australasia, North America, and Western Europe, with significant country-level variability. Projections indicate a declining trend in ASMR and stable ASDR through 2030. The global rise in AF/AFL attributable to metabolic risk factors necessitates comprehensive and region-specific public health strategies. Further research is warranted to develop and implement effective measures to mitigate these conditions and improve cardiovascular health outcomes worldwide.
Strength, extent and duration of secondary hyperalgesia induced by high-frequency electrical stimulation of the foot compared to the volar forearm of healthy human volunteers
High-frequency electrical stimulation (HFS) of the skin using a multi-pin electrode activating epidermal nociceptors is used to explore spinal central sensitization in humans. Most previous studies applied HFS to the volar forearm. To prepare for clinical applications in which HFS could be applied to different body sites, this study compared the secondary hyperalgesia induced by stimulation of the foot dorsum vs. the forearm in 32 healthy volunteers. HFS consisted in five 1-s trains of 100 Hz pulses (inter-train interval: 10 s; intensity: 20x detection threshold) delivered via a novel electrode optimized for stimulation of different body sites (ten 0.25 mm pins in a 5-mm circle). Pinprick sensitivity was assessed before HFS and 30–240 minutes after HFS, at the treated site and the corresponding contralateral site. The area of hyperalgesia was quantified. HFS to the foot induced a significant increase in pinprick sensitivity of the surrounding skin, similar in magnitude to the increase at the forearm, and decaying similarly over time (half-lives 150 vs. 221 min). The radius of secondary hyperalgesia was smaller at the foot (22 mm) compared to the forearm (38 mm, p < 0.001), and decreased more rapidly over time (53 vs. 87 min, p < 0.01). Our results show that strength of HFS-induced secondary hyperalgesia can be used as indicator of spinal central sensitization across body sites, and thereby profile patients with localized or regional pain conditions. The size of the area of hyperalgesia may depend on innervation density and peripheral receptive field sizes.
Variation in soil enzyme activity with amendments of biochar and polyacrylamide in coal gangue soils
Association between C-reactive protein and chronic pain in US adults: A nationwide cross-sectional study
Background Chronic pain has emerged as a significant global public health concern. Hence, it is imperative to acquire a more comprehensive comprehension of these characteristics in the adult population of the United States in order to facilitate the development of effective interventions. The objective of this study is to ascertain the prevalence of chronic pain among people in the United States and investigate its association with C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Methods The present study employed a cross-sectional design and utilized data from three cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The study aimed to investigate the relationship between chronic pain status, CRP levels, and potential confounding factors. The study incorporated individuals who successfully fulfilled chronic questionnaires and had CRP assays. Weighted univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the correlation between chronic pain and CRP levels. To explore the non-linear relationship, weighted restricted cubic spline (RCS) with three knots coupled with a weighted logistic regression model to assess the dose-response relationship between CRP (continuous variables) and chronic pain. Results A total of 10,680 (Weighted 250,814,660.8) adult participants with complete information were included in the analysis and 2612 (Weighted 67978784.88, 27.1%) subjects met the definition of chronic pain. Compared with participants without chronic pain, those with chronic pain had a higher CRP level (P < 0.001). The results of the multivariable adjusted logistic regression model suggested that the highest CRP quartile (CRP > 0.52 mg/dL) was associated with a 32% increase in the risk of chronic pain compared with the lowest CRP quartile (CRP ≤ 0.09 mg/dL). The RCS result showed that the OR of chronic pain and CRP displayed a linear relationship (P = 0.027, Non-linear P = 0.541). Conclusions The study found a significant correlation between CRP levels and the presence of chronic pain among people in the United States. Individuals exhibiting elevated levels of CRP demonstrated a heightened propensity for experiencing chronic pain in comparison to individuals with lower CRP levels. Additional investigation is necessary to explore the presence of a causal association between the two variables, as well as the potential underlying mechanisms.
Genomic analysis of Enterobacter cloacae complex from Southern Thailand reveals insights into multidrug resistance genotypes and genetic diversity
Health-related quality of life and its predictors among chronic kidney disease patients: A hospital-based cross-sectional study
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has a significant impact on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of affected individuals due to its progressive and disabling nature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the HRQoL and its predictors among CKD patients. A cross-sectional study was carried out at kidney foundation Hospital and research Institute at Dhaka, Bangladesh. Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQoL™ -36) questionnaire were used to measure the HRQoL of CKD patients. The study also used kidney-targeted KDQoL-36 Summary Score (KSS). Socio-demographic and medical records were also collected. Descriptive statistics, and multiple linear regression were performed. Out of 430 patients, 77.9% were in moderate to advanced stage of CKD. Patients aged, occupation, income, co-morbidities such as diabetes or hypertension, medication used, and serum hemoglobin were found significantly (p <0.05) associated at different stages of CKD. The mean domain scores of physical component summary (PCS), mental component summary (MCS), burden of kidney disease (BKD), effect of kidney disease (EKD), symptoms and problems of kidney disease (SPKD) subscales were 37.19, 45.94, 31.49, 63.95, and 73.35, respectively. The KSS was 63.24. The stage of CKD has been documented as an important predictor of HRQoL of all subscales of KDQoL-36 as well as KSS. The older age group also showed a clear link with a lower HRQoL in all subscales of KDQoL-36, except SPKD. In multiple linear regression analysis, stage of CKD, patients age, employment status and use of medication were found significant predictors of KSS. Further, higher levels of education, being married, absence of diabetes and heart disease were all independent predictors of a higher MCS. Whereas retirement, low duration of CKD and the use of three or more drugs strongly linked to worse scores of PCS. By addressing the determinants of poor HRQoL, healthcare providers can tailor treatment plans to better meet the needs of these individuals and ultimately enhance their overall well-being.
An indoor positioning method based on bluetooth array/PDR fusion using the SVD-EKF
Asking an AI for salary negotiation advice is a matter of concern: Controlled experimental perturbation of ChatGPT for protected and non-protected group discrimination on a contextual task with no clear ground truth answers
We conducted controlled experimental bias audits for four versions of ChatGPT, which we asked to recommend an opening offer in salary negotiations for a new hire. We submitted 98,800 prompts to each version, systematically varying the employee’s gender, university, and major, and tested prompts in voice of each side of the negotiation: the employee versus their employer. Empirically, we find many reasons why ChatGPT as a multi-model platform is not robust and consistent enough to be trusted for such a task. We observed statistically significant salary offers when varying gender for all four models, although with smaller gaps than for other attributes tested. The most substantial gaps were different model versions and between the employee- vs employer-voiced prompts. We also observed substantial gaps when varying university and major, but many of the biases were not consistent across model versions. We also tested for fictional and fraudulent universities and found wildly inconsistent results across different cases and model versions. We also make broader contributions to the AI/ML fairness and trustworthiness literature. Our salary negotiation advice scenario and our experimental design differ from mainstream AI/ML auditing efforts in key ways. Bias audits typically test discrimination for protected classes like gender, which we contrast with testing non-protected classes of university and major. Asking for negotiation advice includes how aggressive one ought to be in a negotiation relative to known empirical salary distributions and scales, which is a deeply contextual and personalized task that has no objective ground truth to validate. These results raise concerns for not only for the specific model versions we tested, but also around the consistency and robustness of the ChatGPT web platform as a multi-model platform in continuous development. Our epistemology does not permit us to definitively certify these models as either generally biased or unbiased on the attributes we test, but our study raises matters of concern for stakeholders to further investigate.
Ecology and the evolution of cooperation by partner choice and reciprocity
Risk factors for loss to follow-up in patients with gout: A Korean prospective cohort study
Objectives Gout, a common form of inflammatory arthritis, is often managed with urate-lowering therapy, but many patients only adhere to treatment during gout attacks, resulting in poor follow-up and suboptimal management. This study aimed to identify characteristics associated with loss to follow-up (LTFU) and develop strategies for better patient management. Methods Data were analyzed from the Urate Lowering TheRApy in gout (ULTRA) registry, a prospective cohort of Korean gout patients recruited since September 2021. Patients aged 18 or older who met the 2015 ACR/EULAR classification criteria were included. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, lifestyle habits, comorbidities, and quality of life assessments using the Korean Gout Impact Scale (K-GIS) and EuroQol 5-Dimension (EQ-5D) were collected at baseline, six months, and annually. LTFU was defined as missing a clinic visit for more than a year. Logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with LTFU. Results Among 269 patients, 125 (46.5%) were classified as LTFU. Patients not lost to follow-up experienced more frequent gout attacks (P = 0.020) and expressed greater concerns about future flares (P = 0.034). In contrast, LTFU patients had higher levels of anxiety (P = 0.049), depressive symptoms (P = 0.009), impaired mobility (P = 0.002), and a higher EQ-5D score (P = 0.002). Logistic regression identified frequent gout attacks, concerns about attacks, anxiety, impaired mobility, and EQ-5D scores as significant predictors of LTFU. Conclusion Fewer gout attacks, heightened anxiety and depression, and lower quality of life were key factors associated with LTFU. Providing emotional support and comprehensive education may enhance follow-up and improve gout management.
Electrophysiologically calibrated optogenetic stimulation of dentate granule cells mitigates dendritic spine loss in denervated organotypic entorhino-hippocampal slice cultures
Abstract Organotypic slice cultures (OTCs) are versatile tools for studying long-term structure-function relationships of neurons within a defined network (e.g. hippocampus). We developed a method for repeated experimenter-controlled activation of hippocampal granule cells (GCs) in OTCs within the incubator. After several days of contact-free photonic stimulation, we were able to ameliorate entorhinal denervation-induced structural damage in GCs. To achieve this outcome, we had to calibrate the intensity and duration of optogenetic (light) pulses using whole-cell electrophysiological recordings and multi-cell calcium imaging. Our findings showed that ChR2-expressing cells generated action potentials (APs) or calcium transients in response to illumination but were otherwise functionally indistinguishable from non-transduced GCs within the same neural circuit. However, the threshold for AP firing in single GCs varied based on the stimulus light intensity and the expression levels of ChR2. This information allowed us to calibrate light intensity for chronic stimulations. Denervated GCs exhibited significant spine loss four days post-denervation, but this detrimental effect was mitigated when AP firing was induced at a physiological GC bursting rate. Phototoxic damage caused by chronic light exposure was significantly reduced if illuminated with longer wavelength and by adding antioxidants to the culture medium. Our study presents a versatile approach for concurrent non-invasive manipulation and observation of neural circuit activity and remodeling in vitro.
Revealing the status of Orbicella: Main reef-builder of Morrocoy National Park and Cuare Wildlife Refuge, Venezuela, Southern Caribbean
Reef-building corals are the main basis of coral reef ecosystems, and the Orbicella genus is currently the most important in the Caribbean region. Although Orbicella species have been extensively studied, gaps in some southern Caribbean areas still exists on their status, which is crucial for management and conservation plans. In this study, we aimed to describe the population status of Orbicella faveolata and Orbicella annularis in two coastal Marine Protected Areas (MPA) of Venezuela: Morrocoy National Park and Cuare Wildlife Refuge. Between 2018-2020, 16 reefs in five sectors were surveyed using the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment Protocol. Among the two Orbicella species, O. faveolata was dominant in both MPA´s with higher densities and live cover, varying at both reefs and sectors. The central sector of Morrocoy and reefs from Cuare are the most relevant for Orbicella populations, due to the higher live cover and abundance of reproductive colonies. Diseases were the primary threat recorded for both species. Adequate MPA management is essential for the conservation of the Morrocoy-Cuare coral system, including the reduction of local anthropogenic stress sources, such as oil spills, uncontrolled tourism and sewage discharges.
Ankrd1 as a potential biomarker for the transition from acute kidney injury to chronic kidney disease
In-silico tool based on Boolean networks and meshless simulations for prediction of reaction and transport mechanisms in the systemic administration of chemotherapeutic drugs
Using in-house computational tools, this work focuses on investigating how the combination of the electric field magnitude (E), bloodstream velocity (λinl) and pharmaco-kinetic profile (PK) impacts the reaction and transport mechanisms of drug (RTMs) arising in electro-chemotherapeutic treatments. The first step implies retrieving the ratios between extracellular, free intracellular, and bound intracellular concentrations from numerical simulations, employing a meshless code developed, calibrated and validated in a previous work. Subsequently, a Boolean model is developed to determine the presence, interaction and rates of RTMs based on the comparison of the spatio-temporal evolution of the drug concentration ratios, being this the main contribution of the present work to the comprehension of the phenomena involved in the systemic administration of chemotherapeutic drugs in cancer tumors. Different combinations of E (0 kV/m, 46 kV/m, 70 kV/m), λinl (1x10−4m/s, 1x10−3m/s, 1x10−2m/s) and PK (One-short tri-exponential, mono-exponential) are examined. In general, results show that both the presence and relative importance of RTMs can differ between both PKs for a given combination of E and λinl. Additionally, for a given PK, radial uniformity of transmembrane transport rate is aversively affected by the increase of E and λinl, whereas radial homogeneity of association/dissociation rate is monotonously affected only by E. Regarding the axial uniformity of transmembrane transport rate, this is benefited by the increase of λinl and, in a lower extent, by the reduction of E.