Fully automated kidney image biomarker prediction in ultrasound scans using Fast-Unet+.

Any kidney dimension and volume variation can be a remarkable indicator of kidney disorders. Precise kidney segmentation in standard planes plays an undeniable role in predicting kidney size and volume. On the other hand, ultrasound is the modality of choice in diagnostic procedures.

A novel deep learning model for breast lesion classification using ultrasound Images: A multicenter data evaluation.

Purpose: Breast cancer is one of the major reasons of death due to cancer in women. Early diagnosis is the most critical key for disease screening, control, and reducing mortality. A robust diagnosis relies on the correct classification of breast lesions.

Clinical target segmentation using a novel deep neural network: double attention Res-U-Net.

We introduced Double Attention Res-U-Net architecture to address medical image segmentation problem in different medical imaging system. Accurate medical image segmentation suffers from some challenges including, difficulty of different interest object modeling, presence of noise, and signal dropout throughout the measurement. The base line image segmentation approaches are not sufficient for complex target segmentation throughout the various medical image types.

Automatic cardiac evaluations using a deep video object segmentation network.

Background: Accurate cardiac volume and function assessment have valuable and significant diagnostic implications for patients suffering from ventricular dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. This study has focused on finding a reliable assistant to help physicians have more reliable and accurate cardiac measurements using a deep neural network. EchoRCNN is a semi-automated neural network for echocardiography sequence segmentation using a combination of mask region-based convolutional neural network image segmentation structure with reference-guided mask propagation video object segmentation network.

Prevalence of human papilloma virus (HPV) genotypes between outpatients males and females referred to seven laboratories in Tehran, Iran.

Background: Human papilloma virus (HPV) causes the most common sexually-transmitted infection especially among sexually-active individuals. The aim of study was to characterize the molecular characterization of HPV genotypes between 5176 female and male patients.

Methods: HPV DNA was extracted from genital swabs of the study participants and amplified by Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

Fast and Accurate U-Net Model for Fetal Ultrasound Image Segmentation.

U-Net based algorithms, due to their complex computations, include limitations when they are used in clinical devices. In this paper, we addressed this problem through a novel U-Net based architecture that called fast and accurate U-Net for medical image segmentation task. The proposed fast and accurate U-Net model contains four tuned 2D-convolutional, 2D-transposed convolutional, and batch normalization layers as its main layers.

Automatic fetal biometry prediction using a novel deep convolutional network architecture.

Purpose: Fetal biometric measurements face a number of challenges, including the presence of speckle, limited soft-tissue contrast and difficulties in the presence of low amniotic fluid. This work proposes a convolutional neural network for automatic segmentation and measurement of fetal biometric parameters, including biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC), and femur length (FL) from ultrasound images that relies on the attention gates incorporated into the multi-feature pyramid Unet (MFP-Unet) network.

Methods: The proposed approach, referred to as Attention MFP-Unet, learns to extract/detect salient regions automatically to be treated as the object of interest via the attention gates.

Cholesterol synthesis inhibition promotes axonal regeneration in the injured central nervous system.

Neuronal regeneration in the injured central nervous system is hampered by multiple extracellular proteins. These proteins exert their inhibitory action through interactions with receptors that are located in cholesterol rich compartments of the membrane termed lipid rafts. Here we show that cholesterol-synthesis inhibition prevents the association of the Neogenin receptor with lipid rafts.

The effect of periaqueductal gray's metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 8 activation on locomotor function following spinal cord injury.

Background and aims The pathophysiology of spinal cord injury is very complex. One of the debilitating aspects of spinal cord injury in addition to pain is a defect in motor function below the lesion surface. In this study, we tried to assess the modulatory effect of (S)-3,4-Dicarboxyphenylglycine (DCPG), a metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 8 (mGluR8) agonist, on animal's locomotor functions in a model of compression spinal cord injury.

Evaluation of the Effect of (S)-3,4-Dicarboxyphenylglycine as a Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors Subtype 8 Agonist on Thermal Nociception Following Central Neuropathic Pain.

Study Design: In this study, we decided to change the activity of periaqueductal gray (PAG)'s metabotropic glutamate receptors subtype 8 (mGluR8) by means of its specific agonist, (S)-3,4-dicarboxyphenylglycine (DCPG), and by knock downing it with mGluR8 siRNA. We then evaluated the changes in animal pain threshold levels in the face of painful thermal stimuli (thermal hyperalgesia).

Purpose: Although several mechanisms have been examined for central neuropathic pain, researchers have so far failed to find the precise mechanism for the development and progression of this type of pain.

The inhibiting role of periaqueductal gray metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 8 in a rat model of central neuropathic pain.

The pathophysiology of neuropathic pain is very complex. It involves several environmental and central mechanisms. In this study, we tried to assess the modulatory effect of (S)-3,4-Dicarboxyphenylglycine (DCPG), a metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 8 (mGluR8) agonist, in a model of chronic central neuropathic pain in male rats.

Neogenin neutralization prevents photoreceptor loss in inherited retinal degeneration.

Inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs) are characterized by the progressive loss of photoreceptors and represent one of the most prevalent causes of blindness among working-age populations. Cyclic nucleotide dysregulation is a common pathological feature linked to numerous forms of IRD, yet the precise mechanisms through which this contributes to photoreceptor death remain elusive. Here we demonstrate that cAMP induced upregulation of the dependence receptor neogenin in the retina.

Stabilization of primary cilia reduces abortive cell cycle re-entry to protect injured adult CNS neurons from apoptosis.

Abortive cell cycle (ACC) re-entry of apoptotic neurons is a recently characterized phenomenon that occurs after central nervous system (CNS) injury or over the course of CNS disease. Consequently, inhibiting cell cycle progression is neuroprotective in numerous CNS pathology models. Primary cilia are ubiquitous, centriole-based cellular organelles that prevent cell cycling, but their ability to modulate abortive cell cycle has not been described.

Modifying PTEN recruitment promotes neuron survival, regeneration, and functional recovery after CNS injury.

Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) regulates apoptosis and axonal growth in the developing and adult central nervous system (CNS). Here, we show that human PTEN C-terminal PDZ interactions play a critical role in neuronal apoptosis and axon regeneration after traumatic CNS injury and stroke, highlighted by the findings that antagonizing the PDZ-motif interactions of PTEN has therapeutic applicability for these indications. Interestingly, the death-inducing function of PTEN following ischemic insult depends on a PDZ-domain interaction with MAGI-2 and MAST205, PDZ proteins that are known to recruit PTEN to the plasma membrane and stabilize its interaction with PIP3.

MMP Inhibition Preserves Integrin Ligation and FAK Activation to Induce Survival and Regeneration in RGCs Following Optic Nerve Damage.

Purpose: Integrin adherence to the extracellular matrix (ECM) is essential for retinal ganglion cell (RGC) survival: damage causes production and release of ECM degrading matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that disrupt integrin ligation, leading to RGC death. The interplay of MMPs, integrins, and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) was studied in RGCs after optic nerve injury.

Methods: Optic nerve transection and optic nerve crush were used to study RGC survival and regeneration, respectively.

Neurosurgical Modeling of Retinal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Background: A reliable model of ischemia-reperfusion is required to evaluate the efficacy and safety of neuroprotective therapies for stroke. We present a novel reproducible pterygopalatine-ophthalmic artery ligation model of ischemia-reperfusion injury in the retina.

Methods: Rats were subjected to ophthalmic artery/meningeal sheath ligation (OAML-standard method) or clamping of the pterygopalatine-ophthalmic artery (OAC-new method) for 30 minutes.

RGMa inhibition with human monoclonal antibodies promotes regeneration, plasticity and repair, and attenuates neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury.

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) causes a cascade of degenerative events including cell death, axonal damage, and the upregulation of inhibitory molecules which prevent regeneration and limit recovery. Repulsive guidance molecule A (RGMa) is a potent neurite growth inhibitor in the central nervous system, exerting its repulsive activity by binding the Neogenin receptor. Here, we show for the first time that inhibitory RGMa is markedly upregulated in multiple cell types after clinically relevant impact-compression SCI in rats, and importantly, also in the injured human spinal cord.

Exosomes Mediate Mobilization of Autocrine Wnt10b to Promote Axonal Regeneration in the Injured CNS.

Developing strategies that promote axonal regeneration within the injured CNS is a major therapeutic challenge, as axonal outgrowth is potently inhibited by myelin and the glial scar. Although regeneration can be achieved using the genetic deletion of PTEN, a negative regulator of the mTOR pathway, this requires inactivation prior to nerve injury, thus precluding therapeutic application. Here, we show that, remarkably, fibroblast-derived exosomes (FD exosomes) enable neurite growth on CNS inhibitory proteins.

Targeting caspase-6 and caspase-8 to promote neuronal survival following ischemic stroke.

Previous studies show that caspase-6 and caspase-8 are involved in neuronal apoptosis and regenerative failure after trauma of the adult central nervous system (CNS). In this study, we evaluated whether caspase-6 or -8 inhibitors can reduce cerebral or retinal injury after ischemia. Cerebral infarct volume, relative to appropriate controls, was significantly reduced in groups treated with caspase-6 or -8 inhibitors.

Uncoupling Neogenin association with lipid rafts promotes neuronal survival and functional recovery after stroke.

The dependence receptor Neogenin and its ligand, the repulsive guidance molecule a (RGMa), regulate apoptosis and axonal growth in the developing and the adult central nervous system (CNS). Here, we show that this pathway has also a critical role in neuronal death following stroke, and that providing RGMa to neurons blocks Neogenin-induced death. Interestingly, the Neogenin pro-death function following ischemic insult depends on Neogenin association with lipid rafts.

Targeting repulsive guidance molecule A to promote regeneration and neuroprotection in multiple sclerosis.

Repulsive guidance molecule A (RGMa) is a potent inhibitor of neuronal regeneration and a regulator of cell death, and it plays a role in multiple sclerosis (MS). In autopsy material from progressive MS patients, RGMa was found in active and chronic lesions, as well as in normal-appearing gray and white matter, and was expressed by cellular meningeal infiltrates. Levels of soluble RGMa in the cerebrospinal fluid were decreased in progressive MS patients successfully treated with intrathecal corticosteroid triamcinolone acetonide (TCA), showing functional improvements.

Modifying lipid rafts promotes regeneration and functional recovery.

Ideal strategies to ameliorate CNS damage should promote both neuronal survival and axon regeneration. The receptor Neogenin promotes neuronal apoptosis. Its ligand prevents death, but the resulting repulsive guidance molecule a (RGMa)-Neogenin interaction also inhibits axonal growth, countering any prosurvival benefits.

Prooxidant-antioxidant balance and malondialdehyde over time in adult rats after tubal sterilization and vasectomy.

Objective: Sterilization (tubal sterilization and vasectomy) is a widely applied contraceptive method worldwide. Although most studies have described sterilization as a safe method, there are reports of tubal ligation (TL) and vasectomy complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of TL and vasectomy on the serum oxidative stress, specifically prooxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, over time.

Therapeutic effects of a combinatorial treatment of simvastatin and bone marrow stromal cells on experimental embolic stroke.

In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of simvastatin administered in combination with bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) following experimentally induced embolic stroke in rats. Effects on infarct volume, brain oedema and neurological deficits were examined. Focal ischaemic brain injury was induced by emblazing a preformed clot into the middle cerebral artery in rats.