Artificial intelligence-enhanced automation for M-mode echocardiographic analysis: ensuring fully automated, reliable, and reproducible measurements.

To enhance M-mode echocardiography's utility for measuring cardiac structures, we developed and evaluated an artificial intelligence (AI)-based automated analysis system for M-mode images through the aorta and left atrium [M-mode (Ao-LA)], and through the left ventricle [M-mode (LV)]. Our system, integrating two deep neural networks (DNN) for view classification and image segmentation, alongside an auto-measurement algorithm, was developed using 5,958 M-mode images [3,258 M-mode (LA-Ao), and 2,700 M-mode (LV)] drawn from a nationwide echocardiographic dataset collated from five tertiary hospitals. The performance of view classification and segmentation DNNs were evaluated on 594 M-mode images, while automatic measurement accuracy was tested on separate internal test set with 100 M-mode images as well as external test set with 280 images (140 sinus rhythm and 140 atrial fibrillation).

Effect of Fermented Red Ginseng Concentrate Intake on Stool Characteristic, Biochemical Parameters, and Gut Microbiota in Elderly Korean Women.

Fermented red ginseng (FRG) has been used as a general stimulant and herbal medicine for health promotion in Asia for thousands of years. Few studies have investigated the effects of FRG containing prebiotics on the gut microbiota. Here, 29 Korean women aged ≥ 50 years were administered FRG for three weeks to determine its effect on stool characteristics, biochemical parameters, and gut microbiome.

Reconnection of fragmented parts of coronary arteries using local geometric features in X-ray angiography images.

Unlabelled: The segmentation of coronary arteries in X-ray images is essential for image-based guiding procedures and the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. However, owing to the complex and thin structures of the coronary arteries, it is challenging to accurately segment arteries in X-ray images using only a single neural network model. Consequently, coronary artery images obtained by segmentation with a single model are often fragmented, with parts of the arteries missing.

Different Reactions in Each Enterotype Depending on the Intake of Probiotic Yogurt Powder.

Probiotics can be used as a nutritional strategy to improve gut homeostasis. We aimed to evaluate the intestinal microbiota profile of 18 subjects after ingestion of probiotic yogurt powder (PYP) based on enterotype. The subjects were classified into three enterotypes according to their microbial community: ( = 9, type B), ( = 3, type P), and ( = 6, type R).

C4 Bacterial Volatiles Improve Plant Health.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) associated with plant roots can trigger plant growth promotion and induced systemic resistance. Several bacterial determinants including cell-wall components and secreted compounds have been identified to date. Here, we review a group of low-molecular-weight volatile compounds released by PGPR, which improve plant health, mostly by protecting plants against pathogen attack under greenhouse and field conditions.

Simultaneous profiling of and MO6-24/O transcriptomes by dual RNA-seq analysis.

We previously demonstrated that a marine bacterial pathogen isolated from sea foods modulated gene expression levels and defense responses of a land plant . Although the interaction between and was verified under artificial and greenhouse conditions, the simultaneous changes in host and pathogen transcriptomes remained obscure. In this study, we simultaneously analyzed the transcriptome of MO6-24/O and by dual RNA-sequencing analysis.

Assessment of Image Quality for Selective Intracoronary Contrast-Injected CT Angiography in a Hybrid Angio-CT System: A Feasibility Study in Swine.

Purpose: To compare image quality in selective intracoronary contrast-injected computed tomography angiography (Selective-CTA) with that in conventional intravenous contrast-injected CTA (IV-CTA).

Materials And Methods: Six pigs (35 to 40 kg) underwent both IV-CTA using an intravenous injection (60 mL) and Selective-CTA using an intracoronary injection (20 mL) through a guide-wire during/after percutaneous coronary intervention. Images of the common coronary artery were acquired.

Bayesian Estimation of Geometric Morphometric Landmarks for Simultaneous Localization of Multiple Anatomies in Cardiac CT Images.

We propose a robust method to simultaneously localize multiple objects in cardiac computed tomography angiography (CTA) images. The relative prior distributions of the multiple objects in the three-dimensional (3D) space can be obtained through integrating the geometric morphological relationship of each target object to some reference objects. In cardiac CTA images, the cross-sections of ascending and descending aorta can play the role of the reference objects.

Lipid Composition of Latex and Rubber Particles in and .

Natural rubber is usually synthesized in the rubber particles present in the latex of rubber-producing plants such as the Pará rubber tree () and rubber dandelion (). Since the detailed lipid compositions of fresh latex and rubber particles of the plants are poorly known, the present study reports detailed compound lipid composition, focusing on phospholipids and galactolipids in the latex and rubber particles of the plants. In the fresh latex and rubber particles of both plants, phospholipids were much more dominant (85-99%) compared to galactolipids.

Transcriptome analysis based on RNA-seq of common innate immune responses of flounder cells to IHNV, VHSV, and HIRRV.

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) and hirame rhabdovirus (HIRRV) belong to the genus Novirhabdovirus and are the causative agents of a serious disease in cultured flounder. However, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), a prototype of the genus Novirhabdovirus, does not cause disease in flounder. To determine whether IHNV growth is restricted in flounder cells, we compared the growth of IHNV with that of VHSV and HIRRV in hirame natural embryo (HINAE) cells infected with novirhabdoviruses at 1 multiplicity of infection.

Sound Vibration-Triggered Epigenetic Modulation Induces Plant Root Immunity Against .

Sound vibration (SV) is one of the several environmental stimuli that induce physiological changes in plants including changes in plant immunity. Immune activation is a complicated process involving epigenetic modifications, however, SV-induced epigenetic modifications remain unexplored. Here, we performed an integrative analysis comprising chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and microRNA sequencing (miRNA-seq) to understand the role of SV-mediated epigenetic modifications in immune activation in against the root pathogen .

Diagnostic Accuracy of a Novel On-site Virtual Fractional Flow Reserve Parallel Computing System.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a novel on-site virtual fractional flow reserve (vFFR) derived from coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA).

Materials And Methods: We analyzed 100 vessels from 57 patients who had undergone CTA followed by invasive FFR during coronary angiography. Coronary lumen segmentation and three-dimensional reconstruction were conducted using a completely automated algorithm, and parallel computing based vFFR prediction was performed.

Enhanced immobilization of Prussian blue through hydrogel formation by polymerization of acrylic acid for radioactive cesium adsorption.

In this study, a hydrogel impregnated with powder activated carbon (PAC), MAA-PAC, was synthesized through the polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) and PB was immobilized using the carboxyl group of AA. In this process, an adsorbent with an enhancement of PB content and stability of immobilization was developed through the additional supply of Fe ions by the layer by layer (LBL) assembly. XRD, FT-IR, SEM (EDS), TEM (EDS, mapping), and TG analyzes of the LBL and non-LBL groups were performed to confirm the change of PB content in the adsorbent as the LBL assembly was applied.

Bacterial persistence: Fundamentals and clinical importance.

The threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is increasing worldwide. Bacteria utilize persistence and resistance to survive antibiotic stress. For a long time, persistence has been studied only under laboratory conditions.

The correlations data between whether liposomes are coated or not and flatfish's () antibody formation ability and survival rates.

is a known etiologic agent that causes damage leading to death in flatfish (). Liposomes were used to deliver streptococcal oral vaccines to the intestinal mucous membranes of . The liposomes were coated for stabilization, and stability was measured with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Ultrasound-enhanced scintillation proximity assay for rapid diagnostics.

Scintillation proximity assay (SPA) is a type of radioimmunoassay (RIA). We apply ultrasound enhancement to the general SPA. All assay procedures, including the antibody coating and radiolabeled antigen binding are achieved by simply mixing then standing for 5 min in an ultrasound chamber.

Clinical feasibility of catheter-directed selective intracoronary computed tomography angiography using an extremely low dose of iodine in patients with coronary artery disease.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical feasibility of catheter-directed selective computed tomography angiography (S-CTA) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 65 patients diagnosed with CAD who underwent conventional computed tomography angiography (C-CTA). C-CTA was performed with 60-90 mL of contrast medium (370 mg iodine/mL), whereas S-CTA was performed with 15 mL of contrast medium and 17.

Complete Genome Sequence of Multiple-Antibiotic-Resistant Streptococcus parauberis Strain SPOF3K, Isolated from Diseased Olive Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus).

Here, we report the complete genome sequence of multiple-antibiotic-resistant strain SPOF3K, isolated from the kidney of a diseased olive flounder in South Korea in 2013. Sequencing using a PacBio platform yielded a circular chromosome of 2,128,740 bp and a plasmid of 23,538 bp, harboring 2,123 and 24 protein-coding genes, respectively.

A Comparison of Genotypic and Phenotypic Methods for Analyzing the Susceptibility to Sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim in Edwardsiella piscicida.

In a study of 39 isolates of Edwardsiella piscicida made from Korean aquaculture sites, sul genes were detected in 16 isolates and dfr genes in 19. Ten isolates were shown to contain both sul and dfr genes. MIC and disc diffusion zones assays were performed to measure the phenotypic susceptibilities of the 39 isolates.

A Transcriptome Approach Toward Understanding Fruit Softening in Persimmon.

Persimmon ( Thunb.), which is a climacteric fruit, softens in 3-5 weeks after harvest. However, little is known regarding the transcriptional changes that underlie persimmon ripening.

RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis of the olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) kidney response to vaccination with heat-inactivated viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus.

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) is a highly contagious disease of cultured flounder caused by VHS virus (VHSV). To develop effective VHSV vaccines, it is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the host's protective response against VHSV. The purpose of this study is to clarify which genes are involved in the protective response of olive flounder after VHSV vaccination.

Montanide IMS 1312 VG adjuvant enhances the efficacy of immersion vaccine of inactivated viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) in olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus.

Vaccination by immersion is suitable for mass vaccination of small size fish. However, no viral vaccine has been developed for immersion applications, because of low efficacy. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of immersion vaccine against viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) containing Montanide IMS 1312 VG adjuvant in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus).