Lung Cancer Detection using Probabilistic Neural Network with modified Crow-Search Algorithm

Objective: Lung cancer is a type of malignancy that occurs most commonly among men and the third most commontype of malignancy among women. The timely recognition of lung cancer is necessary for decreasing the effect ofdeath rate worldwide. Since the symptoms of lung cancer are identified only at an advanced stage, it is essential topredict the disease at its earlier stage using any medical imaging techniques. This work aims to propose a classificationmethodology for lung cancer automatically at the initial stage. Methods: The work adopts computed tomography (CT)imaging modality of lungs for the examination and probabilistic neural network (PNN) for the classification task.After pre-processing of the input lung images, feature extraction for the work is carried out based on the Gray-LevelCo-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) and chaotic crow search algorithm (CCSA) based feature selection is proposed.Results: Specificity, Sensitivity, Positive and Negative Predictive Values, Accuracy are the computation metrics used.The results indicate that the CCSA based feature selection effectively provides an accuracy of 90%. Conclusion: Thestrategy for the selection of appropriate extracted features is employed to improve the efficiency of classification andthe work shows that the PNN with CCSA based feature selection gives an improved classification than without usingCCSA for feature selection.     

An imaging workflow for characterizing phenotypical change in large histological mouse model datasets

MotivationThis paper presents a workflow designed to quantitatively characterize the 3D structural attributes of macroscopic tissue specimens acquired at a micron level resolution using light microscopy. The specific application is a study of the morphological change in a mouse placenta induced by knocking out the retinoblastoma gene.ResultThis workflow includes four major components: (i) serial section image acquisition, (ii) image preprocessing, (iii) image analysis involving 2D pair-wise registration, 2D segmentation and 3D reconstruction, and (iv) visualization and quantification of phenotyping parameters. Several new algorithms have been developed within each workflow component. The results confirm the hypotheses that (i) the volume of labyrinth tissue decreases in mutant mice with the retinoblastoma (Rb) gene knockout and (ii) there is more interdigitation at the surface between the labyrinth and spongiotrophoblast tissues in mutant placenta. Additional confidence stem from agreement in the 3D visualization and the quantitative results generated.AvailabilityThe source code is available upon request.     

Pharmacokinetics of cilazapril during repeated oral dosing in healthy young volunteers

The pharmacokinetics of cilazapril and its active metabolite cilazaprilat in plasma were investigated in an open study of 13 healthy male volunteers, aged 18 to 43 years. One capsule containing 2.5 mg cilazapril was administered to each volunteer daily for 8 days. Plasma samples were obtained after the first and eighth doses. Concentrations of cilazapril, cilazaprilat and activities of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) were measured by radioenzymatic methods. For cilazapril, the values of apparent plasma clearance (about 15 l/h) and volume of distribution (around 28 l) were sufficiently high to suggest that significant pre-systemic hydrolysis to cilazaprilat occurred. There were no significant changes in these values after repeated dosing. There were small, but statistically significant, increases in mean peak concentrations, mean areas under concentration-time curves and mean trough concentrations from the first to the eighth dose. A steady state was achieved after eight doses with an accumulation of 20-30%. The mean effective half-life was approximately 9 h. Despite the accumulation of cilazaprilat in plasma, there were no significant differences in plasma ACE inhibition from the first to the eighth dose.     

Spontaneous Intrauterine Repairment of Cleft Palate Induced by Amniocentesis in Rats

On day 15 of gestation, 180 fetal sacs in 43 pregnant Charles Foster rats were subjected to amniocentesis producing a series of total or partial clefts in the hard and soft palate regions. Fetuses recovered on days 19, 20 or 21 showed a gradual decline in the incidence of total clefts with increasing gestational age, i.e. 34% on day 19, 29% on day 20 and 13% on day 21, suggesting spontaneous ‘repairment’ of the clefts induced by amniotic sac puncture. Prenatal ‘repairment’ at times leaving residual partial clefts in the hard palate, suggested delayed rotation of the palatine shelves following reaccumulation of lost quantity of amniotic fluid and withdrawal of tongue obstruction. The experiment suggested that the palatine shelves retain intrinsic ‘shelf force’ for a much longer period than thought earlier. However, a gradual increase in the incidence of residual partial cleft with increasing gestational age, i.e. 45% on day 19; 50% on day 20 and 67% on day 21, respectively, suggests only incomplete (partial) repair in most of the cases probably due to paucity of time.     

Significance of bilateral abnormalities on the CT scan in patients with severe head injury

One hundred forty head injured patients, managed by a standardized protocol of early diagnosis, surgical decompression, and intensive therapy, had computerized tomographic (CT) scans within 1 hour or arrival in the emergency room. Ninety of these patients had serial scans during the subsequent week. On admission, 26 patients had normal scans, 75 had unilateral lesions, and 39 had bilateral lesions. Thirteen who had unilateral lesions on admission developed contralateral lesions during the first week for a total of 52 patients with bilateral lesions. These 52 patients could be separated into two distinct groups: (a) those with small ventricles and no change or a slight, homogeneous decrease in density of the brain parenchyma, who had better neurological status on admission, lower intracranial pressure (ICP), and better outcome; and (b) those with bilateral increased density lesions, who had poorer motor response on admission, higher ICP, and worse outcome. The value of CT scanning in management, prognosis, and outcome is emphasized.     

Computer processing of CT images: advances and prospects

Computerized tomography (CT) images are created by computer and as such are inherently amenable to computer image processing techniques. Advances have been made in the areas of alternative visualization (coronal views, etc.), image enhancement, feature extraction, and computer analysis of the extracted information. Further advances await imaginative application of these techniques and time; others will depend upon necessary advances in image processing methods.     

Revealing a hidden problem. An evaluation of a community dementia case-finding program from the Indian 10/66 dementia research network

BACKGROUND: Dementia in India is largely a hidden problem with no community awareness and little help seeking from affected families, despite high levels of strain. Cases must therefore be identified before practical help can be offered. METHOD: After two and a half hours of formal training, local community health workers in rural Kerala were asked to identify possible cases of dementia from the community they served. Diagnoses were then verified by a senior local psychiatrist with clinical and research interests in old age psychiatry. RESULTS: The community health workers identified 51 out of 1979 over 60 year old residents (a prevalence of 2.6%) as suspected cases of dementia. Following the psychiatrist's assessment, 33 met DSM-IV criteria for dementia. The majority of confirmed cases were of the Alzheimer's Disease sub-type. Most "non-cases" were found to be suffering from other major psychiatric disorders, with substantial unmet need. The positive predictive value of the community health workers informal screening was 64.7%. CONCLUSIONS: This simple cost-effective case-finding method can be of practical use in the development of community based dementia care services in India and other developing countries with similar health care systems.