This paper presents a comprehensive review of retinal blood vessel segmentation based on deep learning. The geometric characteristics of retinal vessels reflect the health status of patients and help ...to diagnose some diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. The accurate diagnosis and timing treatment of these diseases can prevent global blindness of patients. Recently, deep learning algorithms have been rapidly applied to retinal vessel segmentation due to their higher efficiency and accuracy, when compared with manual segmentation and other computer-aided diagnosis techniques. In this work, we reviewed recent publications for retinal vessel segmentation based on deep learning. We surveyed these proposed methods especially the network architectures and figured out the trend of models. We summarized obstacles and key aspects for applying deep learning to retinal vessel segmentation and indicated future research directions. This article will help researchers to construct more advanced and robust models.
Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the fifth most common tumor worldwide.Multiple treatment options are available for HCC including curative resection,liver transplantation,radiofrequency ...ablation,trans-arterial chemoembolization,radioembolization and systemic targeted agent like sorafenib.The treatment of HCC depends on the tumor stage,patient performance status and liver function reserve and requires a multidisciplinary approach.In the past few years with significant advances in surgical treatments and locoregional therapies,the short-term survival of HCC has improved but the recurrent disease remains a big problem.The pathogenesis of HCC is a multistep and complex process,wherein angiogenesis plays an important role.For patients with advanced disease,sorafenib is the only approved therapy,but novel systemic molecular targeted agents and their combinations are emerging.This article provides an overview of treatment of early and advanced stage HCC based on our extensive review of relevant literature.
Glaucomatous damage of the macula Hood, Donald C.; Raza, Ali S.; de Moraes, Carlos Gustavo V. ...
Progress in retinal and eye research,
01/2013, Volume:
32
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
There is a growing body of evidence that early glaucomatous damage involves the macula. The anatomical basis of this damage can be studied using frequency domain optical coherence tomography (fdOCT), ...by which the local thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and local retinal ganglion cell plus inner plexiform (RGC+) layer can be measured. Based upon averaged fdOCT results from healthy controls and patients, we show that: 1. For healthy controls, the average RGC+ layer thickness closely matches human histological data; 2. For glaucoma patients and suspects, the average RGC+ layer shows greater glaucomatous thinning in the inferior retina (superior visual field (VF)); and 3. The central test points of the 6° VF grid (24-2 test pattern) miss the region of greatest RGC+ thinning. Based upon fdOCT results from individual patients, we have learned that: 1. Local RGC+ loss is associated with local VF sensitivity loss as long as the displacement of RGCs from the foveal center is taken into consideration; and 2. Macular damage is typically arcuate in nature and often associated with local RNFL thinning in a narrow region of the disc, which we call the macular vulnerability zone (MVZ). According to our schematic model of macular damage, most of the inferior region of the macula projects to the MVZ, which is located largely in the inferior quadrant of the disc, a region that is particularly susceptible to glaucomatous damage. A small (cecocentral) region of the inferior macula, and all of the superior macula (inferior VF), project to the temporal quadrant, a region that is less susceptible to damage. The overall message is clear; clinicians need to be aware that glaucomatous damage to the macula is common, can occur early in the disease, and can be missed and/or underestimated with standard VF tests that use a 6° grid, such as the 24-2 VF test.
Room-temperature ferromagnetism in the large and direct bandgap diluted magnetic semiconductor zinc oxide (ZnO) is attributed to the intrinsic defects and p-orbital-p-orbital (p-p) coupling ...interaction. However, due to oxidation, the ferromagnetism induced by defects is unstable. In the present work, the solution process synthesis route was utilized to grow pristine and bismuth-doped, highly crystalline ZnO nanowire (ZnO NW)-based samples. The FE-SEM images showed that the grown ZnO NWs have a preferred orientation along the
c
-axis in the (001) direction due to the anisotropic crystal nature of ZnO. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the presence of Bi, and at a higher doping content, the bismuth oxide phase appeared. The XRD patterns showed the wurtzite crystal structure, and the large intensity of the (002) peak suggests that most of the reflection was from the top hexagonal face of the NWs, and thus, the wires are predominantly aligned along the c-axis. The TEM analysis further confirmed the crystal growth direction along the (001) direction. The UV-Visible absorption and PL measurements also showed a decrease in the bandgap with an increase in doping concentration, which may be associated with the sp-d exchange interaction between the localized d-electrons and band electrons of the Bi ions. Bi-doping tended to increase the PL intensity in the visible region. The magnetic properties measured by SQUID at 4 and 300 K showed ferromagnetic behaviour for both the pristine and Bi-doped samples. However, the saturation magnetization for the Bi-doped samples was higher compared to that of the pristine ZnO samples until the threshold doping value. The obtained results demonstrated that Bi-doping can be used to tune both the optical and magnetic properties of ZnO NWs, hence paving the way for future spintronics and spin-polarized optoelectronics applications.
Room-temperature ferromagnetism in the large and direct bandgap diluted magnetic semiconductor zinc oxide (ZnO) is attributed to the intrinsic defects and p-orbital-p-orbital (p-p) coupling interaction.
Single-cell analyses have revealed extensive heterogeneity between and within human tumours
, but complex single-cell phenotypes and their spatial context are not at present reflected in the ...histological stratification that is the foundation of many clinical decisions. Here we use imaging mass cytometry
to simultaneously quantify 35 biomarkers, resulting in 720 high-dimensional pathology images of tumour tissue from 352 patients with breast cancer, with long-term survival data available for 281 patients. Spatially resolved, single-cell analysis identified the phenotypes of tumour and stromal single cells, their organization and their heterogeneity, and enabled the cellular architecture of breast cancer tissue to be characterized on the basis of cellular composition and tissue organization. Our analysis reveals multicellular features of the tumour microenvironment and novel subgroups of breast cancer that are associated with distinct clinical outcomes. Thus, spatially resolved, single-cell analysis can characterize intratumour phenotypic heterogeneity in a disease-relevant manner, with the potential to inform patient-specific diagnosis.
The coronavirus family member, SARS-CoV-2 has been identified as the causal agent for the pandemic viral pneumonia disease, COVID-19. At this time, no vaccine is available to control further ...dissemination of the disease. We have previously engineered a synthetic DNA vaccine targeting the MERS coronavirus Spike (S) protein, the major surface antigen of coronaviruses, which is currently in clinical study. Here we build on this prior experience to generate a synthetic DNA-based vaccine candidate targeting SARS-CoV-2 S protein. The engineered construct, INO-4800, results in robust expression of the S protein in vitro. Following immunization of mice and guinea pigs with INO-4800 we measure antigen-specific T cell responses, functional antibodies which neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 infection and block Spike protein binding to the ACE2 receptor, and biodistribution of SARS-CoV-2 targeting antibodies to the lungs. This preliminary dataset identifies INO-4800 as a potential COVID-19 vaccine candidate, supporting further translational study.
Purpose
This study aims to systematically examine gender specific behavioral differences and similarities in online shopping consumers, underlying theories for such differences and similarities and ...moderating and mediating roles of gender in studying the effects of online marketing strategies. This synthesis explores gender differences and similarities from a wide range of online settings, including readiness for adoption of new technology, willingness to make online payments, trust in online vendors, perception and behavior toward online business websites and perceived online service quality.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic approach was adopted to derive and then analyze the existing literature. The authors accessed relevant literature from three electronic databases. After a thorough screening process and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, the study shortlisted 61 academic articles from an initial pool of 187 papers.
Findings
The findings reveal more differences than similarities between men and women as online consumers. Men generally have more favorable attitudes toward e-tailers (electronic retailing), online purchase/re-purchase and e-payments than women do. Social influences positively affect the online purchase intentions of men and women, but they have a more substantial effect on women. Privacy concerns negatively affect the online trust of men and women, but they also manifest a more significant influence on women.
Practical implications
Findings of review guide practitioners in formulating effective positioning and communication strategies that enable them to appeal to gender-specific consumer segments in multiple products and business contexts. It offers guidelines to online businesses for developing e-business platforms (websites) that persuade the target audience across gender groups, based on consumer browsing and web navigation preferences.
Originality/value
This review fulfills the need for a systematic synthesis of empirical research vis-à-vis online consumer behavior studies to find gender-specific perceptions, attitudes and behaviors.
We present the role of heat and electricity storage systems on the rapid rise of renewable energy resources and the steady fall of fossil fuels. The upsurge in renewable resources and slump in fossil ...fuel consumptions is attributed to sustainable energy systems, energy transition, climate change, and clean energy initiatives. The fast growth of renewables brings new design and operational challenges to transition towards 100% renewable energy goal. Energy storage systems can help ride‐through energy transition from hydrocarbon fuels to renewable sources. Nuclear fusion and artificial photosynthesis are the ultimate Holy Grails for permanent clean energy solutions. Plants harvest light and store it in chemical energy to regulate the food supply chain that may be a guideline for an energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables. Heat and electricity storage devices can account for the periodic nature of solar and wind energy sources. Solar thermal systems for water and space heating are also a viable solution for subzero temperature areas. This study presents the transition of world's energy prospect from fossil fuels to renewables and new advances in energy storage systems.
Halogenated hydrocarbons with high ozone depletion potential (ODP) were banned under Montreal Protocol (1987) due to their detrimental effects on ozone layer that shields the planet against ...ultraviolet radiations. The greenhouse gases (GHG) used in modern refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pumping systems, are under Kyoto Protocol (1997)’s time-barred permission period. In order to reduce the depletion of ozone and reverse the climate change effects, the European Union legislation (2014) and Paris Accord (2016) are strongly emphasizing the phasing out of the use of harmful synthetic refrigerants. Choice of natural refrigerants makes no net addition of the greenhouse gases (GHG) in the environment. To retrofit and modify existing cooling and heating systems using natural refrigerants, extensive investigations are in progress worldwide. This work reviews timeworn, current and the next-generation refrigerants using Refrigerant Qualitative Parametric (RQP) quantification model to assist the refrigerant choice decision process. It is based on the ratio of arithmetic sums of actual parametric values of refrigerants normalized to equivalent ideal values. This model can help in choosing alternative refrigerants to replace CFCs by HCFCs or HFCs provisionally and finally replacing HCFCs or HFC to low GWP and ODP synthetic and natural refrigerants. A set of 16 refrigerants, both natural and synthetic, as an example, is computed for the standard Vapour Compression Cycle (VCC) based on the proposed model using REFPROP (NIST- 23 standard). The techno-economic parametric values of chosen refrigerants are taken from cited literature, ASHREA safety standards and international environmental legislations, laws and protocols. This paper reports the environment benign natural (CO2, NH3, HCs) and a few synthetic (R-152a, R-1234yf) refrigerants to be the optimal options.
•Refrigerants with ODP and high GWP were banned or facing time barred permission.•A Refrigerant Qualitative Parametric (RQP) quantification model is proposed.•Results show that natural and a few synthetic refrigerants are optimal options.
Immune infiltration of breast tumours is associated with clinical outcome. However, past work has not accounted for the diversity of functionally distinct cell types that make up the immune response. ...The aim of this study was to determine whether differences in the cellular composition of the immune infiltrate in breast tumours influence survival and treatment response, and whether these effects differ by molecular subtype.
We applied an established computational approach (CIBERSORT) to bulk gene expression profiles of almost 11,000 tumours to infer the proportions of 22 subsets of immune cells. We investigated associations between each cell type and survival and response to chemotherapy, modelling cellular proportions as quartiles. We found that tumours with little or no immune infiltration were associated with different survival patterns according to oestrogen receptor (ER) status. In ER-negative disease, tumours lacking immune infiltration were associated with the poorest prognosis, whereas in ER-positive disease, they were associated with intermediate prognosis. Of the cell subsets investigated, T regulatory cells and M0 and M2 macrophages emerged as the most strongly associated with poor outcome, regardless of ER status. Among ER-negative tumours, CD8+ T cells (hazard ratio HR = 0.89, 95% CI 0.80-0.98; p = 0.02) and activated memory T cells (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.80-0.97; p = 0.01) were associated with favourable outcome. T follicular helper cells (odds ratio OR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.14-1.57; p < 0.001) and memory B cells (OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.0-1.39; p = 0.04) were associated with pathological complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in ER-negative disease, suggesting a role for humoral immunity in mediating response to cytotoxic therapy. Unsupervised clustering analysis using immune cell proportions revealed eight subgroups of tumours, largely defined by the balance between M0, M1, and M2 macrophages, with distinct survival patterns by ER status and associations with patient age at diagnosis. The main limitations of this study are the use of diverse platforms for measuring gene expression, including some not previously used with CIBERSORT, and the combined analysis of different forms of follow-up across studies.
Large differences in the cellular composition of the immune infiltrate in breast tumours appear to exist, and these differences are likely to be important determinants of both prognosis and response to treatment. In particular, macrophages emerge as a possible target for novel therapies. Detailed analysis of the cellular immune response in tumours has the potential to enhance clinical prediction and to identify candidates for immunotherapy.
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