Impact of chromophores on colour appearance in a computational skin model

Early diagnosis of skin cancer offers the patient more favorable treatment options. Color fidelity of skin images is a major concern for dermatologists as adoption of digital dermatoscopes is increasing rapidly. Accurate color depiction of the lesion and surrounding skin are vital in diagnostic evaluation of a lesion. We previously introduced VCT-Derma, a pipeline for dermatological Virtual Clinical Trials (VCTs) including detailed and flexible models of human skin and lesions, which represent the patient in the entire dermatoscopy-based diagnostic process. However, those initial models of skin and lesions did not properly account for tissue colors. Our new skin model accounts for tissue color appearance by incorporating chromophores (e.g., melanin, blood) into the tissue model, and simulating the optical properties of the various skin layers. The physical properties of the skin and lesion were selected from clinically plausible values. The model and simulated dermatoscope images were created in open modelling software, assuming a linear camera model. We have assumed ambient white lighting, with a 6mm distance to the camera. Our model of color appearance was characterised by comparing the brightness of the lesion to its depth. The brightness of the lesion is compared through the variability of the mean gray values of a cropped region around the lesion. We compare two skin models, one without extensive chromophore content and one with. Our preliminary evaluation of increasing chromophore content shows promise based on the results presented here. Further refinement and validation of the model is ongoing

Vascular Burden Predicts Gait, Mood, and Executive Function Disturbances in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: Results from the Gait and Brain Study

International audienc

Socio-economic Characteristics of Rice Farmers in the Combined State of Andhra Pradesh

Aims: The study was conducted in the combined state of Andhra Pradesh to investigate the socio-economic characteristics of rice farmers. Study Design: Multistage stratified random sampling technique was adopted for the study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in three regions of Andhra Pradesh viz., Telangana, Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions during the agricultural year 2013-14. Methodology: The sample consisted of three districts, one each from the three regions of the state, six mandals (two mandals from each district), eighteen villages (three villages from each mandal) and 360 rice farmers (twenty rice farmers from each village). Results: The average age, education and experience of the sample farmers was 46.04, 7.54 and 22.16 years respectively. Majority of the farmers owned small (54.44%) and medium sized (41.11%), nuclear families (68.61%), had agriculture as their primary occupation (99.44%), cultivated rice on own lands (71.94%), with canal as the major source of irrigation (71.11%), owned buffaloes (40%), had contact with extension agencies (67.22%) and had access to institutional credit (81.11%). It was found that 60.28% and 64.17% of the sample farmers were not members of Rythu Mitra Groups (RMGs) and cooperative societies respectively. The cost of cultivation for rice farmers was US$1048.65 ha-1 whereas the net returns were only US$179.62 ha-1. Conclusion: Electronic media, mobiles and e-resources can be used to educate the farmers on improved technologies. Diversification in occupation within the farm families is to be encouraged by developing processing firms and creating non-farm jobs. Participation in farmers organization has to be encouraged. It is also essential to create awareness about the institutional sources of credit so that farmers may avail the credit from institutional sources

Negative phenotypic and genetic associations between copulation duration and longevity in male seed beetles

Reproduction can be costly and is predicted to trade-off against other characters. However, while these trade-offs are well documented for females, there has been less focus on aspects of male reproduction. Furthermore, those studies that have looked at males typically only investigate phenotypic associations, with the underlying genetics often ignored. Here, we report on phenotypic and genetic trade-offs in male reproductive effort in the seed beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus. We find that the duration of a male's first copulation is negatively associated with subsequent male survival, phenotypically and genetically. Our results are consistent with life-history theory and suggest that like females, males trade-off reproductive effort against longevity

Extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation for refractory cardiogenic shock after adult cardiac surgery:a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background - Postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock (PCCS) refractory to inotropic support and intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) occurs rarely but is almost universally fatal without mechanical circulatory support. In this systematic review and meta-analysis we looked at the evidence behind the use of veno-arterial extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) in refractory PCCS from a patient survival rate and determinants of outcome viewpoint. Methods - A systematic review was performed in January 2017 using PubMed (with no defined time period) using the keywords “postcardiotomy”, “cardiogenic shock”, “extracorporeal membrane oxygenation” and “cardiac surgery”. We excluded papers pertaining to ECMO following paediatric cardiac surgery, medical causes of cardiogenic shock, as well as case reports, review articles, expert opinions, and letters to the editor. Once the studies were collated, a meta-analysis was performed on the proportion of survivors in those papers that met the inclusion criteria. Meta-regression was performed for the most commonly reported adverse prognostic indicators (API). Results - We identified 24 studies and a cumulative pool of 1926 patients from 1992 to 2016. We tabulated the demographic data, including the strengths and weaknesses for each of the studies, outcomes of VA ECMO for refractory PCCS, complications, and APIs. All the studies were retrospective cohort studies. Meta-analysis of the moderately heterogeneous data (95% CI 0.29 to 0.34, p 70 years, 95% CI −0.057 to 0.001, P = 0.058), and long ECMO support (95% CI −0.068 to 0.166, P = 0.412). Postoperative renal failure, high EuroSCORE (>20%), diabetes mellitus, obesity, rising lactate whilst on ECMO, gastrointestinal complications had also been reported. Conclusion - Haemodynamic support with VA ECMO provides a survival benefit with reasonable intermediate and long-term outcomes. Many studies had reported advanced age, renal failure and prolonged VA ECMO support as the most likely APIs for VA ECMO in PCCS. EuroSCORE can be utilized to anticipate the need for prophylactic perioperative VA ECMO in the high-risk category. APIs can be used to aid decision-making regarding both the institution and weaning of ECMO for refractory PCCS

Loss of chromosome Y leads to down regulation of KDM5D and KDM6C epigenetic modifiers in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Recent genomic studies of sporadic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) have uncovered novel driver genes and pathways. Given the unequal incidence rates among men and women (male:female incidence ratio approaches 2:1), we compared the genome-wide distribution of the chromosomal abnormalities in both sexes. We observed a higher frequency for the somatic recurrent chromosomal copy number variations (CNVs) of autosomes in male subjects, whereas somatic loss of chromosome X was detected exclusively in female patients (17.1%). Furthermore, somatic loss of chromosome Y (LOY) was detected in about 40% of male subjects, while mosaic LOY was detected in DNA isolated from peripheral blood in 9.6% of them, and was the only recurrent CNV in constitutional DNA samples. LOY in constitutional DNA, but not in tumor DNA was associated with older age. Amongst Y-linked genes that were downregulated due to LOY, KDM5D and KDM6C epigenetic modifiers have functionally-similar X-linked homologs whose deficiency is involved in ccRCC progression. Our findings establish somatic LOY as a highly recurrent genetic defect in ccRCC that leads to downregulation of hitherto unsuspected epigenetic factors, and suggest that different mechanisms may underlie the somatic and mosaic LOY observed in tumors and peripheral blood, respectively

Transient receptor potential canonical 4 and 5 proteins as targets in cancer therapeutics

Novel approaches towards cancer therapy are urgently needed. One approach might be to target ion channels mediating Ca²+ entry because of the critical roles played by Ca²+ in many cell types, including cancer cells. There are several types of these ion channels, but here we address those formed by assembly of transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) proteins, particularly those which involve two closely related members of the family: TRPC4 and TRPC5. We focus on these proteins because recent studies point to roles in important aspects of cancer: drug resistance, transmission of drug resistance through extracellular vesicles, tumour vascularisation, and evoked cancer cell death by the TRPC4/5 channel activator (−)-englerin A. We conclude that further research is both justified and necessary before these proteins can be considered as strong targets for anti-cancer cell drug discovery programmes. It is nevertheless already apparent that inhibitors of the channels would be unlikely to cause significant adverse effects, but, rather, have other effects which may be beneficial in the context of cancer and chemotherapy, potentially including suppression of innate fear, visceral pain and pathological cardiac remodelling

Validation of the modified Berlin questionnaire to identify patients at risk for the obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome

Background & Objectives: Awareness regarding obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) among general public as well as practicing physicians is low in India. The present study was undertaken to test the utility of modified Berlin questionnaire for risk categorization of OSA in Indian setting. Methods: The modified Berlin questionnaire was administered in 180 middle aged adults (of 320 screened), of whom, 104 underwent overnight polysomnograhy, in a cross-sectional study at a tertiary care, referral center in north India. Questionnaire addressed the presence of frequency of snoring, wake time sleepiness, fatigue, obesity and hypertension. Subjects with persistent and frequent symptoms in any two of these three domains were considered in high risk category for obstructive sleep apnoea. Overnight polysomnograhy was performed to measure apnoea and hypopnoea index (AHI). Results: Questions about the symptoms demonstrated internal consistency (Cronbach alpha correlations 0.92-0.96). Of the 180 respondents to the screening questions, 80 were in the high risk and the rest were in low risk group. For 104 subjects who underwent polysomnograhy, risk grouping was useful in prediction of AHI. High risk category predicted an AHI > 5 with a sensitivity of 86 per cent, specificity of 95 per cent, positive and negative predictive values of 96 and 82 per cent respectively. These results were comparable to Berlin questionnaire study done in the western population for validation. Interpretation & Conclusion: On the basis of the findings of present study it is concluded that administration of modified Berlin questionnaire prior to a polysomnography study can identify high risk subjects and can thus avoid unnecessary polysomnography studies especially in resource-limited settings. To identify subjects at risk for OSA syndrome in general population, this questionnaire can be applied. However, the findings of the present study need to be confirmed further in a large number of subjects in a community-based setting