Numerous studies have attempted to apply artificial intelligence (AI) in the dermatological field, mainly on the classification and segmentation of various dermatoses. However, researches under real ...clinical settings are scarce.
This study was aimed to construct a novel framework based on deep learning trained by a dataset that represented the real clinical environment in a tertiary class hospital in China, for better adaptation of the AI application in clinical practice among Asian patients.
Our dataset was composed of 13,603 dermatologist-labeled dermoscopic images, containing 14 categories of diseases, namely lichen planus (LP), rosacea (Rosa), viral warts (VW), acne vulgaris (AV), keloid and hypertrophic scar (KAHS), eczema and dermatitis (EAD), dermatofibroma (DF), seborrheic dermatitis (SD), seborrheic keratosis (SK), melanocytic nevus (MN), hemangioma (Hem), psoriasis (Pso), port wine stain (PWS), and basal cell carcinoma (BCC). In this study, we applied Google's EfficientNet-b4 with pre-trained weights on ImageNet as the backbone of our CNN architecture. The final fully-connected classification layer was replaced with 14 output neurons. We added seven auxiliary classifiers to each of the intermediate layer groups. The modified model was retrained with our dataset and implemented using Pytorch. We constructed saliency maps to visualize our network's attention area of input images for its prediction. To explore the visual characteristics of different clinical classes, we also examined the internal image features learned by the proposed framework using t-SNE (t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding).
Test results showed that the proposed framework achieved a high level of classification performance with an overall accuracy of 0.948, a sensitivity of 0.934 and a specificity of 0.950. We also compared the performance of our algorithm with three most widely used CNN models which showed our model outperformed existing models with the highest area under curve (AUC) of 0.985. We further compared this model with 280 board-certificated dermatologists, and results showed a comparable performance level in an 8-class diagnostic task.
The proposed framework retrained by the dataset that represented the real clinical environment in our department could accurately classify most common dermatoses that we encountered during outpatient practice including infectious and inflammatory dermatoses, benign and malignant cutaneous tumors.
A series of mono- and binuclear Pd(II) complexes with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and phenylene-bridged bis(thione) (SCS) ligands were prepared and characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, ...IR, and mass spectrometry. The molecular structures of 1b, 2a, and 3b have been determined by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. The catalytic activities of the synthesized palladium complexes in the regioselective reduction of quinolines to the corresponding 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines were thoroughly investigated with ammonia–borane under mild reaction conditions. It is observed that the activities of the binuclear Pd(NHC) complexes were higher than those of the corresponding mononuclear complexes under the same conditions.
Abstract
Transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels are the most prominent nonselective cation channels involved in various diseases. However, the function, clinical significance, and ...molecular mechanism of TRPCs in colorectal cancer (CRC) progression remain unclear. In this study, we identified that
TRPC1
was the major variant gene of the TRPC family in CRC patients. TRPC1 was upregulated in CRC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues and high expression of TRPC1 was associated with more aggressive tumor progression and poor overall survival. TRPC1 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, cell-cycle progression, invasion, and migration in vitro, as well as tumor growth in vivo; whereas TRPC1 overexpression promoted colorectal tumor growth and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. In addition, colorectal tumorigenesis was significantly attenuated in
Trpc1
-/-
mice. Mechanistically, TRPC1 could enhance the interaction between calmodulin (CaM) and the PI3K p85 subunit by directly binding to CaM, which further activated the PI3K/AKT and its downstream signaling molecules implicated in cell cycle progression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Silencing of CaM attenuated the oncogenic effects of TRPC1. Taken together, these results provide evidence that TRPC1 plays a pivotal oncogenic role in colorectal tumorigenesis and tumor progression by activating CaM-mediated PI3K/AKT signaling axis. Targeting TRPC1 represents a novel and specific approach for CRC treatment.
The overexpression of programmed cell death-ligand 1(PD-L1) has been observed in gastric cancer (GC). However, whether the expression of PD-L1 in tumor cells or blood serum is associated with the ...prognosis of patients with GC remains unclear. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic significance of PD-L1 expression in GC. Electronic databases were searched systematically. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in the meta-analysis. Data concerning the hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival and disease-free survival with a 95% confidence interval (CI) according to the expression status of PD-L1 evaluated by immunohistochemistry or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were extracted. The data were analyzed using a random effects model. Subgroup analyses were proposed. Our results showed that eight studies with 950 patients met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled HR for overall survival indicated that patients with PD-L1-positive expression had significantly shorter survival time compared with the PD-L1-negative group (HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.09-2.36, P=0.012). The pooled HR for disease-free survival demonstrated that the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.32-3.20, P=0.98). In conclusion, our results indicate that the evaluation of PD-L1 overexpression in GC tissue or blood serum may be useful in the future as a novel prognostic factor.
A series of uranyl–organic frameworks (UOFs), {(UO2)2(H2TTHA)(H2O)·4,4′-bipy·2H2O} n (1), {(UO2)3(TTHA)(H2O)3} n (2), and {(UO2)5(TTHA) (HTTHA)(H2O)3·H3O} n (3), have been obtained by the ...hydrothermal reaction of uranyl acetate with a flexible hexapodal ligand (1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine hexaacetic acid, H6TTHA). These compounds exhibited three distinct 3D self-assembly architectures as a function of pH by single-crystal structural analysis, although the used ligand was the same in each reaction. Surprisingly, all of the coordination modes of the H6TTHA ligand in this work are first discovered. Furthermore, the photoluminescent results showed that these compounds displayed high-sensitivity luminescent sensing functions for nitrobenzene. Additionally, the surface photovoltage spectroscopy and electric-field-induced surface photovoltage spectroscopy showed that compounds 1–3 could behave as p-type semiconductors.
We present here the application of one-dimensional and two-dimensional NMR techniques to characterize the structure of methoxyl end-functionalized polystyrenes （PS）. The peaks in 1H-NMR spectra ...corresponding to main-chain, side-chain and chain-end groups are assigned by 1H-1H gCOSY, 1H-13C gHSQC and gHMBC spectra. For the first time, the spin-lattice relaxation time （T1） of protons of the chain-ends is revealed to be affected more by polymer molecular weight （MW） than by the protons of the main-chains and the side-chains （almost independent from MW）. As a result, a much higher delay time （dl） for chain-ends （d1〉 20T1） is needed for quantitative NMR measurement when using end-group estimation method to obtain the MW of PS, which is in accordance with the value estimated by GPC. An improved method for the polymer MW determination is established, by combination of different NMR techniques to distinguish the peaks, and a large dl setting to achieve quantitative NMR analysis.
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a large genomic region characterized by extremely high polymorphism, and it plays an important role in the immune response of vertebrates. In the present ...study, we isolated MHC class II genes from Nile tilapia in order to investigate the immune mechanism in tilapia and develop better strategies for disease prevention. Moreover, we cloned the full-length cDNA sequences of MHC IIA and IIB from Nile tilapia by the RACE approach. In addition, the genomic structure, molecular polymorphism and expression patterns of MHC II genes in Nile tilapia were also examined. Compared with that of other teleosts, Nile tilapia MHC class IIA contained four exons and three introns. The deduced amino acid sequence of the MHC IIA molecule shared 25.4–64.5% similarity with those of other teleosts and mammals. Six exons and five introns were identified from Nile tilapia MHC IIB, and the deduced amino acid sequence shared 26.9–74.7% similarity with those of other teleosts and mammals. All the characteristic features of MHC class II chain structure could be identified in the deduced sequences of MHC IIA and IIB molecules, including the leader peptide, α1/β1 and α2/β2 domains, connecting peptide and transmembrane and cytoplasmic regions, as well as conserved cysteines and N-glycosylation site. A total of 12 MHC IIA alleles were identified from six individuals. Four alleles originating from a single individual suggested that at least four MHC IIA loci existed. Moreover, 10 MHC IIB alleles were identified, among which four were detected in a single individual, suggesting that at least four MHC IIB loci existed. The expression of MHC IIA and IIB at the mRNA level in 10 types of normal tissues was determined using quantitative real-time PCR analysis. The highest expression level was detected in stomach and gill, whereas the lowest expression was detected in muscle and brain. Furthermore, MHC IIA and IIB were probably two candidate immune molecules involved in the resistance against streptococcosis, because their expression was significantly up-regulated in gill, kidney, intestine and spleen after the intraperitoneal injection of Streptococcus agalactiae.
► MHC class IIA and IIB cDNAs were isolated from tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. ► MHC class IIA and IIB mRNAs were expressed in all the tissues examined. ► Expressions of MHC IIA and IIB mRNAs were up-regulated after challenged with bacteria.
Mean plasma concentration versus time profiles in rats after oral administration of 1gkg−1 total flavonoids from mulberry leaves.
•A LC–MS/MS method was developed and validated for determination of ...flavonoids.•The lower limits of quantitations of six flavonoids were lower than 1ngmL−1.•The main pharmacokinetic parameters of flavonoids of mulberry leaves were reported.•It is the first pharmacokinetic study of astragalin.
A simple and sensitive LC–MS/MS method has been developed and validated for the determination of rutin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin in rat plasma using naringin as the internal standard (IS). The plasma samples were pretreated and extracted by liquid–liquid extraction. Chromatographic separation was accomplished on a C18 column with a 10min gradient elution using acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution as mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.3mLmin−1. A tandem mass spectrometric detection was conducted using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) via an electrospray ionization (ESI) source and operating in the negative ionization mode. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) of each analyte was lower than 1ngmL−1. Intra-day and inter-day precisions were less than 11.9%. The relative errors of accuracy were in the range of −9.2% to 6.1%. The mean recoveries of flavonoids and IS were higher than 53.8%. The proposed method was further applied to investigate the pharmacokinetics of all analytes after a single oral administration of total flavonoids from mulberry leaves to rats.
Malaria caused by Plasmodium species is a prominent public health concern worldwide, and the infection of a malarial parasite is transmitted to humans through the saliva of ...female Anopheles mosquitoes. Plasmodium invasion is a rapid and complex process. A critical step in the blood-stage infection of malarial parasites is the adhesion of merozoites to red blood cells (RBCs), which involves interactions between parasite ligands and receptors. The present study aimed to investigate a previously uncharacterized protein, PbMAP1 (encoded by PBANKA_1425900), which facilitates Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbANKA) merozoite attachment and invasion via the heparan sulfate receptor.
PbMAP1 protein expression was investigated at the asexual blood stage, and its specific binding activity to both heparan sulfate and RBCs was analyzed using western blotting, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry. Furthermore, a PbMAP1-knockout parasitic strain was established using the double-crossover method to investigate its pathogenicity in mice.
The PbMAP1 protein, primarily localized to the P. berghei membrane at the merozoite stage, is involved in binding to heparan sulfate-like receptor on RBC surface of during merozoite invasion. Furthermore, mice immunized with the PbMAP1 protein or passively immunized with sera from PbMAP1-immunized mice exhibited increased immunity against lethal challenge. The PbMAP1-knockout parasite exhibited reduced pathogenicity.
PbMAP1 is involved in the binding of P. berghei to heparan sulfate-like receptors on RBC surface during merozoite invasion.
Summary Background To determine whether the use of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) plus transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is more effective than the use of RFA alone for patients with ...hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods A computer-based search was performed. Randomised trials comparing RFA plus TACE and RFA alone for treatment of HCC were included in this meta-analysis. The outcome of interest for our analysis was survival (recurrence-free survival and overall survival). Results Eight trials with 648 patients were eligible for this meta-analysis. Our pooled results suggest that RFA plus TACE is associated with a significant advantage in recurrence-free survival (RFS) (HR = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.42–0.80, P = 0.001), and overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.47–0.76, P < 0.001). Conclusion TACE combined with RFA was more effective than RFA alone, especially for treatment for intermediate and large-size hepatic tumours or younger patients with HCC.
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