Drug carrier wonders: Synthetic strategies of zeolitic imidazolates frameworks (ZIFs) and their applications in drug delivery and anti-cancer activity

With the rapid advancement of nanotechnology, stimuli-responsive nanomaterials have emerged as a feasible choice for the designing of controlled drug delivery systems. Zeolitic imidazolates frameworks are a subclass of Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that are recognized by their excellent porosity, structural tunability and chemical modifications make them promising materials for loading targeted molecules and therapeutics agents. The biomedical industry uses these porous materials extensively as nano-carriers in drug delivery systems. These MOFs not only possess excellent targeted imaging ability but also cause the death of tumor cells drawing considerable attention in the current framework of anticancer drug delivery systems. In this review, the outline of stability, porosity, mechanism of encapsulation and release of anticancer drug have been reported extensively. In the end, we also discuss a brief outline of current challenges and future perspectives of ZIFs in the biomedical world.

Synthesis, characterization, computational assay and anti-inflammatory activity of thiosemicarbazone derivatives: Highly potent and efficacious for COX inhibitors

Multiple studies in the literature have demonstrated that synthetic compounds containing heterocyclic rings possess a reparative potential against acute and chronic inflammation. In the present study, two novel thiosemicarbazone derivatives based on l-ethyl-6-(thiophen-2-yl)indoline-2,3-dione with different phenyl substituted thiosemicarbazides were synthesized by condensation reaction and the structures of proposed target compounds (KP-2 and KP-5) were confirmed by UV-VIS, FTIR, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. In-vitro anti-inflammatory behavior of KP-2 and KP-5 was confirmed by bovine serum albumin (BSA) and ovine serum albumin (OSA) analysis. Acute and chronic anti-inflammatory potential of synthesized compounds were evaluated by using carrageenan and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) as inflammation-inducing agents, respectively. Inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators and prevention of protein denaturation owing to synchronization of more electronegative flouro-groups substituted on phenyl rings along with heterocyclic indoline ring provides anti-inflammatory effects and are corroborated by radiological, histopathological analysis. Additional support was provided through density functional theory (DFT) and molecular docking. KP-5 exhibited excellent lead-likeness based on its physicochemical parameters, making it a viable drug candidate. The synthesized compounds also showed promising ADMET properties, enhancing their potential as therapeutic agents. These findings emphasize the pivotal role of new compounds for drug design and development.

Artificial intelligence models for predicting calcium and magnesium removal by polyfunctional ketone using ensemble machine learners

Calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) are the major scaling ions of reverse osmosis concentrate in zero-liquid discharge systems, causing performance decline. In this study, we predicted the removal of Ca2+ and Mg2+ from simulated reverse osmosis concentrate by functional polyketones (FPKs). Four amines, including 1,2-diaminopropane (DAP), 1-(2-aminoethyl) piperazine (AEP), 1-(3-aminopropyl) imidazole (API), and butyl amine (BA) used to synthesize FPKs. The effects of various factors such as the amount of adsorbent, feed water concentration, and pH were investigated for process optimization. In this study, ensemble learner artificial intelligence models, decision tree (DT), extreme gradient boost (XGB), and random forest (RF) were used to predict Ca2+ and Mg2+ removal by the FPKs. Datasets were collected experimentally using FPKs to remove Ca2+ and Mg2+ from the simulated reverse osmosis concentrate. The predictions were made by XGB, DT, and RF models for the first chosen amine for Ca2+ and then for Mg2+, subsequently, this process was repeated with each amine. The developed DT, RF, and XGB models demonstrated higher coefficients of determination for predicting Mg2+ removal by AEP and DAP (R2 = 0.841-0.935) than by API and BA (R2 = 0.774-0.801) except in the RF and XGB model results (R2 = 0.801-0.846). Overall, the XGB model displayed good results for both Ca2+ and Mg2+ removal but slight changes were observed in the AEP and BA predictions by DT and RF. Therefore, artificial intelligence models may be a viable alternative for further insight in predicting Ca2+ and Mg2+ removal by FPKs from simulated reverse osmosis concentrate.

Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Invasive Fungal Infections in Pancreas Transplant in the Absence of Postoperative Antifungal Prophylaxis

Background

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) remain a rare yet dreaded complication following pancreas transplantation. Current guidelines recommend antifungal prophylaxis in patients with 1 or more risk factors. At our center, single-dose antifungal prophylaxis is administered in the operating room but none subsequently, regardless of risk factors. Here we evaluate the 1-year incidence, outcome, and risk factors associated with IFI following pancreas transplantation.

Methods

A retrospective, single-center cohort study was conducted in patients who underwent pancreas transplantation between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2019. Records were manually reviewed, and cases were adjudicated using consensus definitions. The 1-year cumulative incidence, mortality, and risk factors were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and differences between populations were assessed with Fisher test and Mann-Whitney U test.

Results

Three hundred sixty-nine recipients were included. Twelve IFIs were identified: candidiasis (8), aspergillosis (2), histoplasmosis (1), and cryptococcosis (1). Intra-abdominal infections were the most common presentation (5), followed by bloodstream infections (3), disseminated disease (2), pulmonary disease (1), and invasive fungal sinusitis (1). Median time to IFI was 64 days (interquartile range, 30-234 days). One-year cumulative incidence was 3.25% (95% confidence interval, 1.86%-5.65%). There were no significant differences between patients with or without IFI regarding type of transplant (P = .17), posttransplant dialysis (P = .3), rejection (P = .5), cytomegalovirus serostatus (P = .45), or reoperation (P = .19). For patients with IFI, the 1-year graft and patient survival rates were 58% versus 95% (P < .0001) and 75% versus 98.6% (P < .001), respectively.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that the use of a single-dose antifungal prophylaxis administered in the operating room but none subsequently does not result in an increased incidence of IFI following pancreas transplantation.

Semantic segmentation of retinal exudates using a residual encoder-decoder architecture in diabetic retinopathy

Exudates are a common sign of diabetic retinopathy, which is a disease that affects the blood vessels in the retina. Early detection of exudates is critical to avoiding vision problems through continuous screening and treatment. In traditional clinical practice, the involved lesions are manually detected using photographs of the fundus. However, this task is cumbersome and time-consuming and requires intense effort due to the small size of the lesion and the low contrast of the images. Thus, computer-assisted diagnosis of retinal disease based on the detection of red lesions has been actively explored recently. In this paper, we present a comparison of deep convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures and propose a residual CNN with residual skip connections to reduce the parameter for the semantic segmentation of exudates in retinal images. A suitable image augmentation technique is used to improve the performance of network architecture. The proposed network can robustly segment exudates with high accuracy, which makes it suitable for diabetic retinopathy screening. A comparative performance analysis of three benchmark databases: E-ophtha, DIARETDB1, and Hamilton Ophthalmology Institute's Macular Edema, is presented. The proposed method achieves a precision of 0.95, 0.92, 0.97, accuracy of 0.98, 0.98, 0.98, sensitivity of 0.97, 0.95, 0.95, specificity of 0.99, 0.99, 0.99, and area under the curve of 0.97, 0.94, and 0.96, respectively. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: The research focuses on the detection and segmentation of exudates in diabetic retinopathy, a disease affecting the retina. Early detection of exudates is important to avoid vision problems and requires continuous screening and treatment. Currently, manual detection is time-consuming and requires intense effort. The authors compare qualitative results of the state-of-the-art convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures and propose a computer-assisted diagnosis approach based on deep learning, using a residual CNN with residual skip connections to reduce parameters. The proposed method is evaluated on three benchmark databases and demonstrates high accuracy and suitability for diabetic retinopathy screening.

Multicomponent synthesis of pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazine derivatives: electrochemical DNA sensing, nonlinear optical properties and biological activity

We synthesized novel pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazin based heterocyclic compounds (4-7) and their chemical structures were ascertained by spectral techniques (NMR, FT-IR). Besides experimental investigation, density functional theory (DFT) computations with B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory were executed to obtain spectroscopic and electronic properties. Nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), UV-visible, vibrational analysis, natural bond orbitals (NBOs), transition density matrix (TDM) and density of states (DOS) analyses of molecules (4-7) were accomplished at B3LYP/6-31G (d,p) level. Global reactivity parameters (GRPs) were correlated with the band gap (Egap) values; compound 7 with lower Egap (3.444 eV), exhibited smaller value of hardness (1.722 eV) with greater softness value (0.290 eV-1). The dipole moment (μ), average polarizability 〈α〉, first (βtot) and second 〈γ〉 hyper-polarizabilities were calculated for compounds (4-7). Compound 7 showed less Egap, highest absorption wavelength and remarkable NLO response. The highest 〈α〉, βtot and 〈γ〉 values for compound 7 were observed as 3.90 × 10-23, 15.6 × 10-30 and 6.63 × 10-35 esu, respectively. High NLO response revealed that pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazin based heterocyclic compounds had very remarkable contributions towards NLO technological applications. Further compounds (4-7) are utilized for the first time in electrochemical sensing of DNA, in vitro antioxidant and antiurease activity.

Dynamic association of stock market volatility, foreign portfolio investment and macroeconomic indicators by taking the impact of structural breaks

In an asymmetric information environment, investors diversify their investments to minimize risk and maximize their wealth. Such diversification ranges from one market to another market and from one country to another country. Investors prefer foreign portfolio investment over foreign direct investment because of the economy's turmoil, changes in macroeconomic indicators, and market liberation. This study analyzes the dynamic relationship among stock market volatility, foreign portfolio investment, and macroeconomic indicators (foreign exchange rate, interest rate, and Gross Domestic Product) using the dynamic long-run Auto-regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model concerning the Pakistan environment. This study also considers the impact of multiple structural breaks, representing variables' endogenous and exogenous shocks. The secondary data is used from Oct. 01, 2009, to Sept. 30, 2019, with monthly frequency. The results indicate a co-integration between SMV, FPI, FXR, IR, and GDP. In short-run analyses, the error correction term is statistically significant, while in the long run, the SMV, FPI, and FXR are not impacted. As no evidence of volatility has been found between SMV and FPI, unidirectional or bi-directional policies can be devised to further attract the new FPI for strengthening the foreign reserves, the balance of payments, and other macroeconomic variables. Additionally, investors should update their knowledge based on considering the endogenous and exogenous shocks on the SMV.

Design, Synthesis, and Density Functional Theory Studies of Indole Hydrazones as Colorimetric "Naked Eye" Sensors for F Ions

A new series of sensors SM-1 to SM-3 was designed and synthesized using indole carboxaldehydes (2a-2c) and 2,4-dinitrophenyl hydrazine. Accompanied by the synthesis, density functional theory investigation was also accomplished at the M06-2X/6-311G+(d,p) functional. A reduction in band gap (ΔE = 4.702-4.230 eV) along with a bathochromic shift (λ_max = 433.223-471.584 nm) was seen in deprotonated chromophores than their neutral sensors. Further, significant charge transference from indole toward dinitrophenyl hydrazine was also examined. Global reactivity parameters also expressed the greater stability of sensors than that of their deprotonated form. SM-3 displayed high selectivity toward F ions as compared to SM-1 and SM-2, which respond to both F^- and CN^- ions. The electronic absorption spectrum was recorded in CH₃CN. The sensor SM-3 showed high selectivity toward F^- ions with a low detection limit (8.69 × 10^-8), and the binding constant for SM-3 was determined as 7.7 × 10⁵. The sensor displayed naked eye views as the color of solution changed from mustard to purple with a red shift of 96 nm. The mechanism suggests deprotonation from the NH group, which was confirmed by ¹H NMR. The sensor is found to be useful for detection of F^- ions in the real sample and for analytical application (test strip).

Pyrazole derivatives of pyridine and naphthyridine as proapoptotic agents in cervical and breast cancer cells

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The increasing prevalence and resistance to chemotherapy is responsible for driving the search of novel molecules to combat this disease. In search of novel compounds with pro-apoptotic potential, pyrazolo-pyridine and pyrazolo-naphthyridine derivatives were investigated against cervical cancer (HeLa) and breast cancer (MCF-7) cells. The anti-proliferative activity was determined through the MTT assay. Potent compounds were then analyzed for their cytotoxic and apoptotic activity through a lactate dehydrogenase assay and fluorescence microscopy after propidium iodide and DAPI staining. Flow cytometry was used to determine cell cycle arrest in treated cells and pro-apoptotic effect was verified through measurement of mitochondrial membrane potential and activation of caspases. Compounds 5j and 5k were found to be most active against HeLa and MCF-7 cells, respectively. G0/G1 cell cycle arrest was observed in treated cancer cells. Morphological features of apoptosis were also confirmed, and an increased oxidative stress indicated the involvement of reactive oxygen species in apoptosis. The compound-DNA interaction studies demonstrated an intercalative mode of binding and the comet assay confirmed the DNA damaging effects. Finally, potent compounds demonstrated a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and increased levels of activated caspase-9 and -3/7 confirmed the induction of apoptosis in treated HeLa and MCF-7 cells. The present work concludes that the active compounds 5j and 5k may be used as lead candidates for the development of lead drug molecules against cervical and breast cancer.

Synthesis of heated aluminum oxide particles impregnated with Prussian blue for cesium and natural organic matter adsorption: Experimental and machine learning modeling

Heated aluminum oxide particles impregnated with Prussian blue (HAOPs-PB) are synthesized for the first time using different molar ratios of aluminum sulfate and PB to improve the adsorption of cesium (¹³³Cs⁺) and natural organic matter (NOM) from an aqueous solution. The Cs⁺ adsorption from various aqueous solutions, including surface, tap and deionized water by synthesized HAOPs-PB, is investigated. The influencing factors such as HAOPs-PB mixing ratio, pH and dosage are studied. In addition, pseudo 1st and 2nd order is tested for adsorption kinetics study. A machine learning model is developed using gene expression programming (GEP) to evaluate and optimize the adsorption process for Cs⁺ and NOM removal. Synthesized adsorbent showed maximum adsorption at a 1:1 M ratio of aluminum sulfate and PB in DI, tap, and surface water. The pseudo 2nd order kinetics model described the Cs ⁺ adsorption by HAOPs-PB more accurately that indicating physiochemical adsorption. Adsorption of Cs⁺ showed an increasing trend with higher HAOPs-PB concentration, while high pH also favored the adsorption. Maximum NOM adsorption is found at a higher HAOPs-PB dosage and a neutral pH value. Furthermore, the proposed GEP model shows outstanding performance for Cs⁺ adsorption modeling, whereas a modified-GEP model presents promising results for NOM adsorption prediction for testing dataset by learning the relationship between inputs and output with R² values of 0.9348 and 0.889, respectively.

Environmental-, social-, and governance-related factors for business investment and sustainability: a scientometric review of global trends

Consideration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors can contribute to the environmental and economic performance of organizations in terms of investment and sustainability. This article thoroughly reviews the following factors influencing decisions regarding ESG policy by businesses: economic performance, environmental sustainability, pollution and waste, corporate social responsibility, gender, and governance structure. Moreover, we review the impact of these factors considering ESG disclosure, the global pandemic, religion, governing board and size, national interest, and technological advancements. The literature reports that ESG disclosures of environmental, economic, and social sustainability performance can strengthen business sustainability and performance. Religion-based businesses demonstrated better socio-environmental performance but not governance. An independent governing board has a positive impact; however, dual-gender boards negatively impact ESG disclosure. Significant diversification potential in ESG investments was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adopting an ESG policy enhances the innovation capacity, innovative activities, value creation, and financial performance of businesses. Overall, the social and environmental performance demonstrated a significantly positive relationship with business sustainability, indicating that business economy and creating value for society are mutually dependent. The literature summary presented in this review will help future research on ESG factors that influence business investments and sustainability.

Synthesis, spectroscopic, SC-XRD/DFT and non-linear optical (NLO) properties of chromene derivatives

In the present study, we reported the efficient synthesis of novel, heterocyclic, coumarin-based pyrano-chromene derivatives, 2-amino-8-methyl-5-oxo-4-[2-(2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-ylmethoxy)-phenyl]-4H,5H-pyrano[3,2-c]chromene-3-carbonitrile (4a) and 2-amino-8-methyl-5-oxo-4-[2-(2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-ylmethoxy)-phenyl]-4H,5H-pyrano[3,2-c]chromene-3-carboxylic acid methyl ester (4b). The chemical structures of synthesized compounds were resolved by employing various spectroscopic techniques like UV-Vis, FT-IR, ¹H & ¹³C NMR, and single crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) analysis. The compounds; 4a and 4b, with appealing π-bonded skeleton were further analyzed in terms of their electronic and structural aspects using an integral approach of density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD/DFT). The methodology: M06-2X/6-31G(d,p) level of theory was applied to compare their experimental data with theoretical outcomes using quantum chemical analysis. The frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) study revealed that, 4a possesses a low band gap (5.168 eV) as compared to 4b (6.308 eV). Global reactivity parameters were associated with E _gap values as 4a, with the lowest band gap showed the smaller value of hardness (0.094 eV) and a larger value of softness (5.266 eV). The non-linear optical (NLO) insight exhibited that, the average polarizability 〈α〉 and second hyperpolarizability (γ _tot) were observed in 4a as 6.77005 × 10^-23 and 0.145 × 10⁴ esu, respectively. Overall, the computational studies suggest that the investigated compounds have distinct NLO properties.

Predictive modeling of pharmaceutical product removal by a managed aquifer recharge system: Comparison and optimization of models using ensemble learners

Pharmaceutical products (PPs) are emerging water pollutants with adverse environmental and health-related impacts, owing to their toxic, persistent, and undetectable microscopic nature. Globally, increasing scientific knowledge and advanced technologies have allowed researchers to study PP-associated problems and their removal for water reuse. Experimental modeling methods require laborious, lengthy, expensive, and environmentally hazardous lab-work to optimize the process. On the other hand, predictive machine learning (ML) models can trace the complex input-output relationship of a process using available datasets. In this study, ensemble ML techniques, including decision tree (DT), random forest (RF), and Xtreme gradient boost (XGB), were used to explore PP (diclofenac, iopromide, propranolol, and trimethoprim) removal by a managed aquifer recharge (MAR) system. The model input parameters included characteristics of reclaimed water and soil used in the columns, pH, dissolved organic carbon, operating time, nitrogen dioxide, sulfate, nitrate, electrical conductivity, manganese, and iron. The selected PP removal was the model output. Datasets were collected through a one-year experimental study of continuous MAR system operation to predict the removal of PPs. DT, RF, and XGB models were then developed for one of the selected compounds and tested for the others to check the reliability of the ML model results. The developed models were assessed using statistical performance matrices. The experimental results showed >80% removal of propranolol and trimethoprim; however, removal of diclofenac and iopromide was only ≈50% by the MAR system. The proposed DT and RF models presented higher coefficients of determination (R² ≥ 0.92) for diclofenac, propranolol, and trimethoprim than for iopromide (R² ≤ 0.63). In contrast, the XGB model showed better results for diclofenac, iopromide, propranolol, and trimethoprim, with R² values of 0.92, 0.72, 0.96, and 0.97, respectively. Therefore, XGB could be the best predictive model to provide insight into the adaptation of ML models to predict PP removal by the MAR system, thereby minimizing experimental work.

Treating reverse osmosis concentrate to address scaling and fouling problems in zero-liquid discharge systems: A scientometric review of global trends

Currently, reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) treatment is one of the most promising techniques for its disposal because it produces freshwater with high recovery and valuable materials such as salts and reduces waste volume and environmental pollution. Public attention to the severe consequences of water pollution and strict environmental regulations on wastewater discharge has pushed water-polluting industries toward zero-liquid discharge (ZLD). However, scaling and fouling problems increase energy consumption and limit permeate flux at high salt concentrations, mainly due to calcium, magnesium, and silica precipitation, ultimately decreasing ZLD performance. Therefore, this study discusses drivers and ROC pretreatment technologies to improve ZLD efficiency and presents a scientometric review of global trends. The advantages, disadvantages, and economic and environmental aspects of conventional and emerging pre-treatment technologies were studied. Traditional treatment of chemical processes combined with precipitation removes a large amount of scaling ions; however, high operation and maintenance costs and limited full-scale plant experience are the main drawbacks. Softening and coagulation are most commonly applied to treat large volumes at a moderate cost; however, substantial sludge production and increased conductivity are major operational issues. Moreover, emerging technologies efficiently remove scale-forming ions with high capital and operating costs. New variations in standard reverse osmosis technologies have improved ZLD efficiency; nonetheless, scaling and fouling are of concern. Therefore, this review presents the studies on ROC pre-treatment technologies for removing scaling ions to enhance ZLD efficiency, which can help in future research.

An Early Warning System for Earthquake Prediction from Seismic Data Using Batch Normalized Graph Convolutional Neural Network with Attention Mechanism (BNGCNNATT)

Earthquakes threaten people, homes, and infrastructure. Early warning systems provide prior warning of oncoming significant shaking to decrease seismic risk by providing location, magnitude, and depth information of the event. Their usefulness depends on how soon a strong shake begins after the warning. In this article, the authors implement a deep learning model for predicting earthquakes. This model is based on a graph convolutional neural network with batch normalization and attention mechanism techniques that can successfully predict the depth and magnitude of an earthquake event at any number of seismic stations in any number of locations. After preprocessing the waveform data, CNN extracts the feature map. Attention mechanism is used to focus on important features. The batch normalization technique takes place in batches for stable and faster training of the model by adding an extra layer. GNN with extracted features and event location information predicts the event information accurately. We test the proposed model on two datasets from Japan and Alaska, which have different seismic dynamics. The proposed model achieves 2.8 and 4.0 RMSE values in Alaska and Japan for magnitude prediction, and 2.87 and 2.66 RMSE values for depth prediction. Low RMSE values show that the proposed model significantly outperforms the three baseline models on both datasets to provide an accurate estimation of the depth and magnitude of small, medium, and large-magnitude events.

Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and In Silico Studies of Novel Coumarin-Based 4H,5H-pyrano[3,2-c]chromenes as Potent β-Glucuronidase and Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors

The search for novel heterocyclic compounds with a natural product skeleton as potent enzyme inhibitors against clinical hits is our prime concern in this study. Here, a simple and facile two-step strategy has been designed to synthesize a series of novel coumarin-based dihydropyranochromenes (12a-12m) in a basic moiety. The synthesized compounds were thus characterized through spectroscopic techniques and screened for inhibition potency against the cytosolic hCA II isoform and β-glucuronidase. Few of these compounds were potent inhibitors of hCA II and β-glucuronidase with varying IC₅₀ values ranging from 4.55 ± 0.22 to 21.77 ± 3.32 μM and 440.1 ± 1.17 to 971.3 ± 0.05 μM, respectively. Among the stream of synthesized compounds, 12e and 12i were the most potent inhibitors of β-glucuronidase, while 12h, 12i, and 12j showed greater potency against hCA II. In silico docking studies illustrated the significance of substituted groups on the pyranochromene skeleton and binding pattern of these highly potent compounds inside enzyme pockets.

Trend analysis of temperature data using innovative polygon trend analysis and modeling by gene expression programming

Presenting temperature data using recently introduced innovative polygon trend analysis (IPTA) can improve our understanding of the effects of climate change. This method was applied to analyze temperature trends at six stations in Turkey: Istanbul (17,064), Ankara (17,131), Bursa (17,116), Iznik (17,661), Gemilik (17,663), and Sakarya (17,069). At station 17,064, there was an increasing trend in temperature data for seven months, while only one month showed a decreasing trend, and the remainder presented no trend. For station 17,131, there was a decreasing trend for two months, an increasing trend for five months, and no trend for the remaining months. At station 17,116, an increasing trend was present for nine months, with a decreasing trend for two months and only one month indicating no trend. An increasing trend over seven months was noted at station 17,661, while two and three months showed a decreasing and no trend, respectively. For station 17,663, there was an increasing trend for nine months, one month showed no trend, and two months presented a decreasing trend. At station 17,069, five, four, and three months showed increasing, decreasing, and no trends, respectively. The gene expression programming (GEP) model was tested to predict the short-term monthly average temperature for this dataset. The proposed GEP model presented good prediction results for all selected stations by tracing the relationship with a coefficient of determination (R-Sq) ≥ 0.90. Trend analysis by IPTA can help understand temperature trends better, aiding future decision-making, and the GEP model can effectively predict short-term values.

Deep Learning-Based Image Reconstruction for Different Medical Imaging Modalities

Image reconstruction in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) is a mathematical process that generates images at many different angles around the patient. Image reconstruction has a fundamental impact on image quality. In recent years, the literature has focused on deep learning and its applications in medical imaging, particularly image reconstruction. Due to the performance of deep learning models in a wide variety of vision applications, a considerable amount of work has recently been carried out using image reconstruction in medical images. MRI and CT appear as the ultimate scientifically appropriate imaging mode for identifying and diagnosing different diseases in this ascension age of technology. This study demonstrates a number of deep learning image reconstruction approaches and a comprehensive review of the most widely used different databases. We also give the challenges and promising future directions for medical image reconstruction.

POS0971 THE RELATIONSHIP OF AXIAL [18F]FLUORIDE UPTAKE ON PET-CT TO ANATOMICAL CHANGES ON MRI AND X-RAY IN CLINICALLY ACTIVE ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS PATIENTS

Background

Bone formation is a histopathologic feature of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), causing structural changes through the formation of syndesmophytes and spinal ankyloses (1, 2) Recent studies with [18F]Fluoride Positron emission tomography (PET) demonstrated that disease activity of AS is best reflected by bone formation rather than inflammation and is sensitive to change during therapy (2, 3). [18F]Fluoride PET(/CT) identifies more lesions in active AS than bone marrow edema on MRI, so may provide complementary information about the disease activity (3). A direct comparison between [18F]Fluoride PET(/CT) and MRI and X-rays will allow better understanding of PET-CT positive lesions and will support further positioning of the technique for diagnostics and monitoring of AS.

Objectives

To relate uptake of [18F]Fluoride on PET-CT to abnormalities on MRI and conventional radiography in patients with clinically active AS.

Methods

Ten patients (female 6/10, age 38±11 years) with AS based on modified New York criteria, a BASDAI of ≥ 4 and naïve to biologicals were included. All patients received a [18F]Fluoride PET(/CT) scan, MRI scan and x-rays of the spine and SI-joints. Experienced readers blinded to clinical data and findings on other modalities scored the respective scans. PET scans were dichotomously scored for PET-positivity. MRI scans were scored in the spine for fatty lesions, erosions, ankylosis and bone marrow edema (BME) and erosions, ankylosis and BME in the SI-joints. X-rays were scored for erosions, syndesmophytes and ankylosis. Lesions on all modalities were compared with Cohen’s kappa, linear regression, and univariate and multivariate analysis with a generalized mixed model.

Results

In total, 69 lesions with enhanced [18F]Fluoride uptake compared to local background, 257 MRI lesions and 88 x-ray lesions were observed in the spine (Table 1). Most lesions were found in the thoracic spine. PET lesions were frequently located outside the field of view (FOV) of the MRI and X-ray in respectively costovertebral and facet joints (31/69; 45%). Univariate analysis PET positivity had the strongest association with the presence of MRI BME and x-ray bridges (OR 6.6, 95% C.I. 2.0 – 21.1, p = 0.002 and OR 34, 95% C.I. 6.0 – 183, p <0.001 respectively). Multivariate analysis confirmed these findings (OR 39, 95% C.I. 7 – 223, p < 0.01 and OR 6.4, 95% 1.7 – 23.5, p < 0.01 respectively) (Figure 1). However, of all PET-positive lesions only 7/24; 29% within the FOV of the MRI showed BME and 13/23; 56% of the PET lesions within the FOV of the X-ray showed bridges on X-ray. In the SI-joints, a total of 15 lesions (15/20; 75%) with PET enhancement were found. Erosions, ankylosis and BME lesions on MRI were observed in respectively 13/15; 87%, 4/15; 27% and 13/15; 87% of the lesions with PET enhancement.

Table 1.

Distribution of lesions throughout the spine on different modalities.

Number of lesionsCervical spineThoracic spineLumbar spineTotalPET4422369PET, within FOV MRI1111224PET, within FOV x-ray1101223MRI – fatty lesions15301560MRI – erosions0011MRI – ankylosis212127150MRI – BME1351046X-ray erosions1425039x-ray syndesmophytes1012X-ray bridges4311247

FOV: field of view

Figure 1.

Example of Fluoride uptake on PET (A), corresponding BME on MRI (B) and bridges on X-ray (C).

Conclusion

Lesions with [18F]Fluoride on PET showed significant correlation to MRI BME and x-ray bridge lesions. It showed partial agreement with BME of MRI and bridges on X-ray. This suggests that [18F]Fluoride PET visualizes different mechanisms central to AS disease activity compared to MRI and X-ray, thereby providing novel and additional information.

References

[1]Lee SG et al. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2015;33(1):90-7.

[2]Bruijnen STG et al. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2018;57(4):770.

[3]Bruijnen ST et al. Arthritis Res Ther. 2012;14(2):R71.

Disclosure of Interests

Jerney de Jongh: None declared, Nicki Pouw-Verweij: None declared, Gerben C.J. Zwezerijnen: None declared, J.C. van Denderen: None declared, Irene van der Horst-Bruinsma Speakers bureau: BMS, AbbVie, Pfizer, MSD, Consultant of: AbbVie, UCB, MSD, Novartis, Eli Lilly, Grant/research support from: Unrestricted Grants received for investigator initiated studies from MSD, Pfizer, AbbVie, UCB, Joost Bot: None declared, B.J.H. Boden: None declared, Robert Hemke: None declared, Frank F Smithuis: None declared, Alexandre Voskuyl: None declared, Maarten Boers Consultant of: Novartis, Maqsood Yaqub: None declared, Conny J. van der Laken: None declared

POS1071 [18F]FLUORIDE PET-CT SCANS VISUALIZE BOTH AXIAL AND PERIPHERAL BONE FORMATION IN PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS PATIENTS

Background

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) can present with peripheral (i.e. arthritis, enthesitis, dactylitis) and/or axial (spondyloarthritis) manifestations. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) may be a promising imaging technique for detection of whole body disease activity since it combines quantification and picomolar sensitivity for accurate depiction of pathologic processes with anatomical low dose CT imaging as a reference (3, 4). It was recently demonstrated that [18F]Fluoride PET-CT scans can successfully visualize and monitor ankylosing spondylitis disease activity by imaging of bone formation in the axial skeleton (5). Since bone formation is associated with enthesitis and synovitis in PsA, [18F]Fluoride may enable sensitive, whole body detection of disease activity in PsA.

Objectives

To investigate the feasibility of [18F]Fluoride PET-CT to visualize disease activity of PsA by imaging of bone formation at axial and peripheral sites in PsA patients.

Methods

Sixteen patients (female 10/16, age 50.6 ±8.9 years) with PsA fulfilling CASPAR criteria and clinically active disease including ≥1 clinically active enthesitis site were included. Clinical disease activity was assessed by swollen joint count/tender joint count 44, MASES and SPARCC. Of each patient, a whole body [18F]Fluoride PET-CT scan at 45 minutes post injection was performed. All scans were dichotomously scored by two board certified readers (blinded for clinical data) for PET-positive lesions in the joints, peripheral enthesis sites and spine. Low dose CT was used for anatomical reference.

Results

Out of 1088 evaluated joints, 109 joints showed PET enhancement, most frequently in the interphalangeal- and metatarsal joints of the feet (14/109, 12,9%) (Figure 1A) and the distal interphalangeal joints of the hands (14/109, 12,9%). Out of 416 evaluated entheseal sites, PET positivity was found at 44 sites, mainly located at the patella tendon insertion (11/44, 25%) (Figure 1B) and the quadriceps tendon insertion (10/44, 22.7%). Of the PET positive joints and entheses sites, respectively 81.1% and 70.5% were not associated with tender or swollen joints and clinical enthesitis, respectively. In 11 out of the 16 patients ≥1 axial PET positive lesion was observed (Figure 1C), most frequently located in the cervical spine (19/49 observed axial lesions, 38.8%). Two patients showed PET enhancement in one sacro-iliac joint (SIJ) without any inflammatory back pain (IBP). Only four out of 15 patients reported IBP and missing data for 1 patient. In two patients clinical dactylitis was observed which was also depicted on PET-CT.

Figure 1.

[18F]Fluoride uptake in the metatarsal and IP-joints of the feet (A), in the patella tendon (B) and in the spine (C)

Conclusion

[18F]Fluoride PET-CT scans can visualize disease activity at whole body musculoskeletal manifestations of PsA by demonstrating local bone formation in joints, entheses and the axial skeleton. By sensitive imaging of bone formation at active sites, [18F]Fluoride PET-CT adds information to clinical disease activity, reflected by a high number of clinically negative, PET positive sites on top of concordant findings.

References

[1]Kaeley GS, Eder L, Aydin SZ, Gutierrez M, Bakewell C. Enthesitis: A hallmark of psoriatic arthritis. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2018;48(1):35-43.

[2]Ogdie A, Coates LC, Gladman DD. Treatment guidelines in psoriatic arthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2020;59(Suppl 1):i37-i46.

[3]von Schulthess GK, Steinert HC, Hany TF. Integrated PET/CT: current applications and future directions. Radiology. 2006;238(2):405-22.

[4]Jones T. The role of positron emission tomography within the spectrum of medical imaging. Eur J Nucl Med. 1996;23(2):207-11.

[5]Bruijnen STG, Verweij NJF, van Duivenvoorde LM, Bravenboer N, Baeten DLP, van Denderen CJ, et al. Bone formation in ankylosing spondylitis during anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy imaged by 18F-fluoride positron emission tomography. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2018;57(4):770.

Acknowledgements

We thank Pfizer and Novartis for financial support of this investigator initiated study.

Disclosure of Interests

Jerney de Jongh: None declared, Robert Hemke: None declared, Gerben C.J. Zwezerijnen: None declared, Maqsood Yaqub: None declared, Irene van der Horst-Bruinsma Speakers bureau: BMS, AbbVie, Pfizer, MSD, Consultant of: AbbVie, UCB, MSD, Novartis, Eli Lilly, Grant/research support from: Unrestricted Grants received for investigator initiated studies from MSD, Pfizer, AbbVie, UCB, Marleen G.H. van de Sande Speakers bureau: UCB, Consultant of: Advisory board AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Novartis, UCB, Grant/research support from: Novartis, Janssen, UCB, Eli Lilly, Arno Van Kuijk Speakers bureau: Novartis, Consultant of: Novartis, AbbVie, Janssen, Irene Bultink Speakers bureau: Eli Lilly, MSD, Amgen, UCB, GSK, Roche, Sanofi Genzyme (outsite the submitted work), Consultant of: Sanofi Genzyme, Astrazeneca (outside the submitted work), Lot Burgemeister Consultant of: Advisory board Novartis, Galapagos, Nancy M.A. van Dillen: None declared, Alexandre Voskuyl: None declared, Conny J. van der Laken: None declared

Novel Quinoline-Derived Chemosensors: Synthesis, Anion Recognition, Spectroscopic and Computational Study

Fluorescent-small molecules offer an excellent source of chemosensors when optimized for detection of anions with sensitivity and selectivity, low-cost and robust synthesis. In the present study we synthesized new quinoline-based...

An Automatic Detection and Localization of Mammographic Microcalcifications ROI with Multi-Scale Features Using the Radiomics Analysis Approach

Microcalcifications in breast tissue can be an early sign of breast cancer, and play a crucial role in breast cancer screening. This study proposes a radiomics approach based on advanced machine learning algorithms for diagnosing pathological microcalcifications in mammogram images and provides radiologists with a valuable decision support system (in regard to diagnosing patients). An adaptive enhancement method based on the contourlet transform is proposed to enhance microcalcifications and effectively suppress background and noise. Textural and statistical features are extracted from each wavelet layer's high-frequency coefficients to detect microcalcification regions. The top-hat morphological operator and wavelet transform segment microcalcifications, implying their exact locations. Finally, the proposed radiomic fusion algorithm is employed to classify the selected features into benign and malignant. The proposed model's diagnostic performance was evaluated on the MIAS dataset and compared with traditional machine learning models, such as the support vector machine, K-nearest neighbor, and random forest, using different evaluation parameters. Our proposed approach outperformed existing models in diagnosing microcalcification by achieving an 0.90 area under the curve, 0.98 sensitivity, and 0.98 accuracy. The experimental findings concur with expert observations, indicating that the proposed approach is most effective and practical for early diagnosing breast microcalcifications, substantially improving the work efficiency of physicians.

Naphthyridine derived colorimetric and fluorescent turn off sensors for Ni2+ in aqueous media

Highly selective and sensitive 2,7-naphthyridine based colorimetric and fluorescence "Turn Off" chemosensors (L1-L4) for detection of Ni2+ in aqueous media are reported. The receptors (L1-L4) showed a distinct color change from yellow to red by addition of Ni2+ with spectral changes in bands at 535-550 nm. The changes are reversible and pH independent. The detection limits for Ni2+ by (L1-L4) are in the range of 0.2-0.5 µM by UV-Visible data and 0.040-0.47 µM by fluorescence data, which is lower than the permissible value of Ni2+ (1.2 µM) in drinking water defined by EPA. The binding stoichiometries of L1-L4 for Ni2+ were found to be 2:1 through Job's plot and ESI-MS analysis. Moreover the receptors can be used to quantify Ni2+ in real water samples. Formation of test strips by the dip-stick method increases the practical applicability of the Ni2+ test for "in-the-field" measurements. DFT calculations and AIM analyses supported the experimentally determined 2:1 stoichiometries of complexation. TD-DFT calculations were performed which showed slightly decreased FMO energy gaps due to ligand-metal charge transfer (LMCT).

Copper oxide integrated perylene diimide self-assembled graphitic pencil for robust non-enzymatic dopamine detection

Exploring a robust, extremely sensitive, cost-effective and reliable assay platform for the precise analysis of dopamine (DA) has become a big challenge predominantly at the clinical level. To participate in this quest, herein, we fabricated a perylene diimide (PDI) self-assembled graphitic surface of the graphitic pencil electrode (GPE) anchored copper oxide (CuO). The self-assembled N-rich PDI led to the fast movement of ions by decreasing the bandgap and improved the electron transport kinetics with more exposed catalytic active sites, thus resulting in the robust electrochemical sensing of DA. The designed sensor exhibited good sensitivity (4 μM⁻¹ cm⁻²), high structural stability, repeatability and excellent reproducibility with an RSD value of 2.9%. Moreover, the developed system showed a wide linear range (5 μM to 500 μM) and reliable selectivity even in the presence of co-existing interferants, such as ascorbic acid and uric acid. The fabricated nanohybrid was eventually employed to analyze DA in spiked physiological fluids and provided satisfactory recoveries. The designed PDI-CuO based interface also showed a very low detection limit of 6 nM (S/N = 3), consequently confirming its suitability for clinical and biological applications.

Exploring a robust, extremely sensitive, cost-effective and reliable assay platform for the precise analysis of dopamine (DA) has become a big challenge predominantly at the clinical level.

Synthesis, biological activity and docking calculations of bis-naphthoquinone derivatives from Lawsone

Some metabolic enzyme inhibitors can be used as Multi-target-Directed-Ligands (MTDL) in Medicinal chemistry therefore, synthesis and determination of alternative inhibitors are essential. In this study, novel bis-napthoquinone derivatives (5a-o) were synthesized through a multi-component cascade reaction of two molecules of 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone with an aromatic aldehyde in basic media using triethylamine as a catalyst. This novel heterocyclic derivatives (5a-o) are applied to inhibit the carbonic anhydrase (hCA I and hCA II) isoform in low levels of nano molecules with Ki values exist between 4.62 ± 1.01 to 70.45 ± 9.03 nM for hCA I and for hCA II which is physiologically dominant K_is values are in the range of 5.61 ± 1.04 to 73.26 ± 10.25 nM. Further these novel derivatives (5a-o) efficiently inhibit AChE with Ki values in the range of 0.13 ± 0.02 to 3.16 ± 0.56 nM. The compounds are also applied for BChE with Ki values varying between 0.50 ± 0.10 to 9.23 ± 1.15 nM. For α-glycosidase, the most efficient Ki values of 5e and 5f are 76.14 ± 9.60 and 95.27 ± 12.55 nM respectively. Finally, molecular docking calculations against enzymes (acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, and the human carbonic anhydrase I and II) are compared using biological activities of heterocyclic derivatives. After these calculations, an ADME/T analysis is performed to study the future medicinal use of heterocyclic derivatives from lawsone.

OP0189 MACROPHAGE PET/CT IMAGING OF THE FEET CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EARLY PREDICTION OF THERAPY OUTCOME IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Background:

Treat-to-target strategies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have shown significant improvements in therapy outcomes. Nevertheless, it usually takes a minimum of 12 weeks before clinical assessment of treatment response can be made. Quantitative positron emission tomography (PET) has shown potential to predict clinical response at a very early stage in the treatment in RA patients.(1) In particular, macrophage imaging by [11C]-(R)-PK11195 PET allows for highly sensitive and specific imaging of RA disease activity.(2,3)

Objectives:

To determine whether quantitative assessment using [11C]-(R)-PK11195 PET/CT imaging at 0-2 weeks is associated with subsequent clinical response to therapy with methotrexate and step-down prednisolone (COBRA-light) therapy in therapy-naive RA patients.

Methods:

Whole body [11C]-(R)-PK11195 PET/CT scans were performed at baseline and after two weeks of treatment in thirty-five clinically active and therapy-naive RA patients and at least two clinically inflamed joints. All patients were DMARD-naïve and received medication according to the COBRA-light schedule. (4) Clinical follow up with DAS44 assessment was performed at 0, 2 and 13 weeks of treatment. PET/CT scans were visually assessed by two experienced readers blinded to clinical data and quantitatively analyzed using in-house software. Regions of interest (ROIs) with a fixed size per joint (on both visual PET positive and negative joints) were placed on shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and hand and feet joints, with the CT-scan as anatomical reference. Standardized uptake values (SUVs) normalized for body weight were calculated in these ROIs to determine the amount of tracer uptake per joint. SPSS version 22.0 was used to perform regression analyses. The sum of visually positive joints and the average SUV in hand joints, feet joints and all joints in the body were compared with DAS44 scores.

Results:

Included patients were mostly male (51%) and aged 54 ± 12. Baseline DAS44 was 3.2 ± 1.0; all but one of the thirty-five patients demonstrated visually enhanced tracer uptake in one or more joints on PET/CT. A total of 171 (out of 1470) joints (12%) were visually PET positive at baseline. Over 90% of PET positive sites were located either in the wrists (15%), small hand joints (37%), or small feet joints (40%; Figure 1A). After 2 weeks, the number of PET positive joints had decreased to 100, with the highest decrease in quantitative uptake in feet joints (Figure 1B). Notably, both visual and quantitative PET data at baseline and differences between baseline and 2 weeks did not correlate with DAS44 at 13 weeks (DAS44-13wks). However, at 2 weeks, the average SUV in the feet (SUVfeet-2wks) – but not average SUVhands-2wks or average SUVtotalbody-2wks – was significantly correlated with DAS44-13wks (R2 = 0.14, p = 0.04). DAS44-2wks and SUVfeet-2wks both contributed independent information to the prediction DAS44-13wks (combined R2 = 0.297, p < 0.01).

Figure 1.

Changes in [11C]-(R)-PK11195 uptake in MTP joints of a RA patient, before (A) and 2 weeks after initiation of COBRA light treatment (B).

Conclusion:

Quantitative macrophage PET assessment in feet joints after 2 weeks of COBRA light treatment in early RA patients correlates with clinical response after 3 months of treatment. This correlation further increases when combined with the DAS44 score at 2 weeks. Therefore, quantitative, non-invasive macrophage PET/CT, especially when combined with early clinical assessment, may be useful for early assessment of response to treatment. Further studies will help optimize timing and focus of the PET examination in prediction of treatment response.

References:

[1]Elzinga EH, et al. J Nucl Med. 2011; 52(1):77-80.

[2]Van der Laken CJ et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2008 Nov;58(11):3350-5.

[3]Gent YY, et al. J Rheumatol. 2014; 41: 2145-52

[4]Den Uyl D, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2014;73(6):1071-8.

Disclosure of Interests:

Nicki J.F. Verweij: None declared, Marieke ter Wee: None declared, Jerney de Jongh: None declared, Gerben C.J. Zwezerijnen: None declared, Maqsood Yaqub: None declared, Dirkjan van Schaardenburg: None declared, Alexandre Voskuyl: None declared, WIllem Lems Speakers bureau: Pfizer, Galapagos, Eli Lilly, Amgen, UCB, Curaphar, Consultant of: Pfizer, Galapagos, Eli Lilly, Amgen, UCB, Curaphar, Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Adriaan A. Lammertsma Consultant of: Roche, Maarten Boers Consultant of: Novartis, BMS, Pfizer, Conny J. van der Laken Consultant of: Novartis, Pfizer, Abbvie, UCB, BMS, GSK, Galapagos, Grant/research support from: Novartis, Pfizer, Abbvie, UCB, BMS, GSK, Galapagos

Harmonisation of PET/CT contrast recovery performance for brain studies

PURPOSE

In order to achieve comparability of image quality, harmonisation of PET system performance is imperative. In this study, prototype harmonisation criteria for PET brain studies were developed.

METHODS

Twelve clinical PET/CT systems (4 GE, 4 Philips, 4 Siemens, including SiPM-based "digital" systems) were used to acquire 30-min PET scans of a Hoffman 3D Brain phantom filled with ~ 33 kBq·mL^-1 [¹⁸F]FDG. Scan data were reconstructed using various reconstruction settings. The images were rigidly coregistered to a template (voxel size 1.17 × 1.17 × 2.00 mm³) onto which several volumes of interest (VOIs) were defined. Recovery coefficients (RC) and grey matter to white matter ratios (GMWMr) were derived for eroded (denoted in the text by subscript e) and non-eroded grey (GM) and white (WM) matter VOIs as well as a mid-phantom cold spot (VOI_cold) and VOIs from the Hammers atlas. In addition, left-right hemisphere differences and voxel-by-voxel differences compared to a reference image were assessed.

RESULTS

Systematic differences were observed for reconstructions with and without point-spread-function modelling (PSF_ON and PSF_OFF, respectively). Normalising to image-derived activity, upper and lower limits ensuring image comparability were as follows: for PSF_ON, RC_GMe = [0.97-1.01] and GMWMr_e = [3.51-3.91] for eroded VOI and RC_GM = [0.78-0.83] and GMWMr = [1.77-2.06] for non-eroded VOI, and for PSF_OFF, RC_GMe = [0.92-0.99] and GMWMr_e = [3.14-3.68] for eroded VOI and RC_GM = [0.75-0.81] and GMWMr = [1.72-1.95] for non-eroded VOI.

CONCLUSIONS

To achieve inter-scanner comparability, we propose selecting reconstruction settings based on RC_GMe and GMWMr_e as specified in "Results". These proposed standards should be tested prospectively to validate and/or refine the harmonisation criteria.

A Transfer Learning Approach for Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease on MRI Images

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) detection using magnetic resonance image (MRI), plays a crucial role in the treatment of dementia disease at an early stage. Deep learning architecture produces impressive results in such research. Algorithms require a large number of annotated datasets for training the model. In this study, we overcome this issue by using layer-wise transfer learning as well as tissue segmentation of brain images to diagnose the early stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In layer-wise transfer learning, we used the VGG architecture family with pre-trained weights. The proposed model segregates between normal control (NC), the early mild cognitive impairment (EMCI), the late mild cognitive impairment (LMCI), and the AD. In this paper, 85 NC patients, 70 EMCI, 70 LMCI, and 75 AD patients access form the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database. Tissue segmentation was applied on each subject to extract the gray matter (GM) tissue. In order to check the validity, the proposed method is tested on preprocessing data and achieved the highest rates of the classification accuracy on AD vs NC is 98.73%, also distinguish between EMCI vs LMCI patients testing accuracy 83.72%, whereas remaining classes accuracy is more than 80%. Finally, we provide a comparative analysis with other studies which shows that the proposed model outperformed the state-of-the-art models in terms of testing accuracy.

Synthesis, Characterization, and In Silico Studies of Novel Spirooxindole Derivatives as Ecto-5'-Nucleotidase Inhibitors

Ecto-5'-nucleotidase (ecto-5'-NT, CD73) inhibitors are promising drug candidates for cancer therapy. Traditional efforts used to inhibit the ecto-5'-nucleotidase have involved antibody therapy or development of small molecule inhibitors that can mimic the acidic and ionizable structure of adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP). Herein, we report an efficient, environment friendly route for the synthesis of non-nucleotide based small molecules, i.e., substituted spirooxindole derivatives 9a-9l and investigated their inhibitory potential on human and rat recombinant ecto-5'-nucleotidase isozymes. These attempts have resulted in the identification of compound 9f (IC₅₀ = 0.15 ± 0.02 μM) inhibitor on h-ecto-5'-NT which showed 280-fold higher inhibition and compound 9h (IC₅₀ ± 0.19 ± 0.03 μM) on r-ecto-5'-NT with 406-fold enhanced inhibition than reference standard sulfamic acid. Moreover, in silico studies were carried out to assess binding interactions of potent compounds within enzyme active sites and demonstrated excellent correlation with the experimental findings.

Correction to: Survey: smartphone-based assessment of cardiovascular diseases using ECG and PPG analysis

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Quantification of [18F]afatinib using PET/CT in NSCLC patients: a feasibility study

Introduction

Only a subgroup of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients benefit from treatment using epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) such as afatinib. Tumour uptake of [¹⁸F]afatinib using positron emission tomography (PET) may identify those patients that respond to afatinib therapy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to find the optimal tracer kinetic model for quantification of [¹⁸F]afatinib uptake in NSCLC tumours.

Methods

[¹⁸F]Afatinib PET scans were performed in 10 NSCLC patients. The first patient was scanned for the purpose of dosimetry. Subsequent patients underwent a 20-min dynamic [¹⁵O]H₂O PET scan (370 MBq) followed by a dynamic [¹⁸F]afatinib PET scan (342 ± 24 MBq) of 60 or 90 min. Using the Akaike information criterion (AIC), three pharmacokinetic plasma input models were evaluated with both metabolite-corrected sampler-based input and image-derived (IDIF) input functions in combination with discrete blood samples. Correlation analysis of arterial on-line sampling versus IDIF was performed. In addition, perfusion dependency and simplified measures were assessed.

Results

Ten patients were included. The injected activity of [¹⁸F]afatinib was 341 ± 37 MBq. Fifteen tumours could be identified in the field of view of the scanner. Based on AIC, tumour kinetics were best described using an irreversible two-tissue compartment model and a metabolite-corrected sampler-based input function (Akaike 50%). Correlation of plasma-based input functions with metabolite-corrected IDIF was very strong (r² = 0.93). The preferred simplified uptake parameter was the tumour-to-blood ratio over the 60- to 90-min time interval (TBR_60–90). Tumour uptake of [¹⁸F]afatinib was independent of perfusion.

Conclusion

The preferred pharmacokinetic model for quantifying [¹⁸F]afatinib uptake in NSCLC tumours was the 2T3K_vb model. TBR_60–90 showed excellent correlation with this model and is the best candidate simplified method.

Trial registration

https://eudract.ema.europa.eu/ nr 2012-002849-38

Survey: smartphone-based assessment of cardiovascular diseases using ECG and PPG analysis

A number of resources, every year, being spent to tackle early detection of cardiac abnormalities which is one of the leading causes of deaths all over the Globe. The challenges for healthcare systems includes early detection, portability and mobility of patients. This paper presents a categorical review of smartphone-based systems that can detect cardiac abnormalities by the analysis of Electrocardiogram (ECG) and Photoplethysmography (PPG) and the limitation and challenges of these system. The ECG based systems can monitor, record and forward signals for analysis and an alarm can be triggered in case of abnormality, however the limitation of smart phone’s processing capabilities, lack of storage and speed of network are major challenges. The systems based on PPG signals are non-invasive and provides mobility and portability. This study aims to critically review the existing systems, their limitation, challenges and possible improvements to serve as a reference for researchers and developers.

State-of-the-Art CNN Optimizer for Brain Tumor Segmentation in Magnetic Resonance Images

Brain tumors have become a leading cause of death around the globe. The main reason for this epidemic is the difficulty conducting a timely diagnosis of the tumor. Fortunately, magnetic resonance images (MRI) are utilized to diagnose tumors in most cases. The performance of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) depends on many factors (i.e., weight initialization, optimization, batches and epochs, learning rate, activation function, loss function, and network topology), data quality, and specific combinations of these model attributes. When we deal with a segmentation or classification problem, utilizing a single optimizer is considered weak testing or validity unless the decision of the selection of an optimizer is backed up by a strong argument. Therefore, optimizer selection processes are considered important to validate the usage of a single optimizer in order to attain these decision problems. In this paper, we provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of popular optimizers of CNN to benchmark the segmentation for improvement. In detail, we perform a comparative analysis of 10 different state-of-the-art gradient descent-based optimizers, namely Adaptive Gradient (Adagrad), Adaptive Delta (AdaDelta), Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD), Adaptive Momentum (Adam), Cyclic Learning Rate (CLR), Adaptive Max Pooling (Adamax), Root Mean Square Propagation (RMS Prop), Nesterov Adaptive Momentum (Nadam), and Nesterov accelerated gradient (NAG) for CNN. The experiments were performed on the BraTS2015 data set. The Adam optimizer had the best accuracy of 99.2% in enhancing the CNN ability in classification and segmentation.

SAT0551 WHOLE BODY MACROPHAGE PET IMAGING THAT INCLUDES THE FEET CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO CLINICAL ASSESSMENT IN PATIENTS WITH EARLY RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Background:

Clinical assessment of arthritis is the cornerstone in the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Nevertheless, reliable determination of (sub)clinical arthritis can be difficult, especially in the feet. Advanced imaging techniques may contribute to early diagnosis and therapy monitoring through sensitive detection and (quantitative) monitoring of synovitis. Previously, it has been demonstrated that macrophage imaging using (R)-[11C]PK11195 positron emission tomography (PET) allows for highly sensitive and specific imaging of RA disease activity in the hands.(1,2)Whole body macrophage PET imaging that includes the feet has not yet been evaluated in RA.

Objectives:

To compare whole body macrophage PET imaging to clinical assessment of arthritis activity in clinically active, early RA patients.

Methods:

Thirty-five previously untreated RA patients (age 54 ± 12, 51% male) with at least two clinically inflamed joints were included. They underwent a whole body (R)-[11C]PK11195 PET/computed tomography (CT) scan in addition to standard clinical assessment of number of tender and swollen joints (TJC and SJC, respectively). Two readers blinded to clinical assessment (GZ and CvdL) visually scored intensity of uptake in joints on a 0 to 3 scale. A PET positive joint score was defined at ≥ 1. Additionally, (R)-[11C]PK11195 uptake in joints was assessed quantitatively as standardized uptake values (SUV). Visual parameters were compared to clinical parameters using Cohen’s kappa, and quantitative parameters were analyzed using an independent T-test.

Results:

All patients showed enhanced tracer uptake in one or more joints (Figure 1). A total of 168 joints were visually PET positive, with the following distribution: 16% in the wrists, 14% in the metacarpophalangeal joints, 25% in the proximal interphalangeal joints, 4% in the ankles, 37% in the metatarsophalangeal joints. Positivity in other large joints was rare (4%). The number of discrepant findings between PET and clinical outcome (TJC and/or SJC) varied based on anatomic localization; more joints were clinically active in the hands, and more joints were active on the PET scan in the feet. Consequently, agreement between visual PET positivity and clinical activity was low, with only moderate agreement found in the ankles (κ = 0.46 and 0.41 for SJC and TJC respectively). Quantitative PET data showed a trend towards higher SUV values in joints that were clinically tender and/or swollen, reaching a significant difference in the feet (ankles + MTPs) versus SJC (Figure 2; 0.7 vs 1.0,p< 0.001). However, parts of the clinically non-affected joints also depicted moderately increased SUV values, and vice versa.

Figure 1.

Visual PET uptake in the left MTP5-joint.

Figure 2.

(R)-[11C]PK11195 (SUV) in both clinically affected and non-affected feet joints (defined as swollen yes or no).

Conclusion:

Whole body macrophage PET imaging showed clear uptake of (R)-[11C]PK11195 in several joints of clinically active, early RA patients, especially in MTP-joints. The best correlation between quantitative PET data and clinical assessment of swelling was observed in the feet. In general, however, PET also provided distinct information from clinical assessment, which may provide a means for detecting subclinical synovitis. We are performing longitudinal studies to further assess the value of macrophage PET in RA.

References:

[1]Elzinga EH, et al. J Nucl Med. 2011; 52(1): 77-80.

[2]Gent YY, et al. J Rheumatology. 2014; 41: 2145-52

Acknowledgments:

We thank ReumaNederland and Pfizer for financial support of this investigator initiated study.

Disclosure of Interests:

Nicki J.F. Verweij: None declared, Marieke ter Wee: None declared, Jerney de Jongh: None declared, Gerben C.J. Zwezerijnen: None declared, Maqsood Yaqub: None declared, Maarten Boers: None declared, Alexandre Voskuyl: None declared, Adriaan A. Lammertsma: None declared, WIllem Lems Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Consultant of: Lilly, Pfizer, Conny J. van der Laken: None declared

AB1087 DETECTING AXIAL AND PERIPHERAL NEW BONE FORMATION IN SPONDYLOARTHRITIS PATIENTS USING [18F]FLUORIDE PET-CT IMAGING

Background:

Bone formation in spondyloarthritis (SpA) is presumably related to local enthesitis/peri-articular inflammation and ultimately may lead to functional limitation (1,2). X-rays only allow long-term monitoring of bone formation (≥2 years) (3). Imaging techniques that can visualize bone formation at an early stage would therefore be valuable. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) using [18F]Fluoride can visualize and quantify (early changes in) bone formation at molecular level (4).

Objectives:

To investigate the feasibility of [18F]Fluoride to assess new bone formation at axial and peripheral enthesial sites in SpA patients.

Methods:

Thus far, 5 of the total of 15 patients with clinically active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (according to modified New York criteria and BASDAI ≥4) and 8 of the 25 patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) (according to CASPAR criteria and ≥1 clinically active enthesitis) were included. Of each patient, a whole body [18F]Fluoride PET-CT scan was performed. All scans were visually judged and scored dichotomously by one reader (blinded for clinical data) for PET-positive lesions in the spine, peripheral enthesis sites and joints. Low dose CT was used for anatomical reference.

Results:

The study is ongoing, with whole body [18F]Fluoride PET-CT scans available in five AS patients and eight PsA patients. In 4/5 AS scans, at least (≥1) PET positive lesions were found in the cervical, thoracic and/or lumbar vertebrae. These were mainly found in anterior corners of vertebrae and bridging syndesmophytes (Fig. 1A). In all eight PsA patients, at least 1 PET positive lesion was visualized, projected either at the site of a tendon attachment (fascia plantaris, achilles- and patella tendon (Fig 1B)) or peri-articularly (in the ankle or wrist).

Fig 1.

[18F]Fluoride uptake in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine in a clinically active AS patient (A) and in the patella tendon of the right knee in a clinically active PsA patient (B)

Conclusion:

[18F]Fluoride PET uptake, reflecting new bone formation, can be visualized at heterogeneously distributed enthesis and (peri-)articular sites in AS- and PsA patients. The technique therefore is sensitive to visualize new bone formation and may reflect local disease activity. Additional scans will be collected and analyzed quantitatively, also after anti-TNF or Secukinumab treatment, to further investigate the applicability of [18F]Fluoride PET for monitoring of therapeutic effects on bone formation in SpA.

References: :

[1]Maksymowych WP, Mallon C, Morrow S, Shojania K, Olszynski WP, Wong RL, et al. Development and validation of the Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) Enthesitis Index. Ann Rheum Dis. 2009;68(6):948-53.

[2]Rezvani A, Bodur H, Ataman S, Kaya T, Bugdayci DS, Demir SE, et al. Correlations among enthesitis, clinical, radiographic and quality of life parameters in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Mod Rheumatol. 2014;24(4):651-6.

[3]Rudwaleit M, Khan MA, Sieper J. The challenge of diagnosis and classification in early ankylosing spondylitis: do we need new criteria? Arthritis Rheum 2005;52:1000-8..

[4]Bruijnen ST, Verweij NJF, van Duivenvoorde L, Bravenboer N, Baeten D, van Denderen JC, et al. [18F]Fluoride PET-CT imaging of bone formation in ankylosing spondylitis before and after 12 weeks of anti-TNF treatment. 2017.

Acknowledgments:

We thank EULAR Foreum, Pfizer and Novartis for financial support of this investigator initiated study.

Disclosure of Interests:

Jerney de Jongh: None declared, Robert Hemke: None declared, Gerben C.J. Zwezerijnen: None declared, Maqsood Yaqub: None declared, Irene van der Horst-Bruinsma Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Novartis, Eli Lilly, Bristol-Myers Squibb, MSD, Pfizer, UCB Pharma, Consultant of: AbbVie, Novartis, Eli Lilly, Bristol-Myers Squibb, MSD, Pfizer, UCB Pharma, Marleen G.H. van de Sande Grant/research support from: Novartis, Eli lily, UCB, Jansen, Consultant of: Abbvie, Novartis, Eli lily, MSD, Arno Van Kuijk: None declared, Irene Bultink: None declared, Lot Burgemeister: None declared, Nancy M.A. van Dillen: None declared, Alexandre Voskuyl: None declared, Conny J. van der Laken: None declared

Texture based localization of a brain tumor from MR-images by using a machine learning approach

In this paper, a machine learning approach was used for brain tumour localization on FLAIR scans of magnetic resonance images (MRI). The multi-modal brain images dataset (BraTs 2012) was used, that is a skull stripped and co-registered. In order to remove the noise, bilateral filtering is applied and then texton-map images are created by using the Gabor filter bank. From the texton-map, the image is segmented out into superpixel and then the low-level features are extracted: the first order intensity statistical features and also calculates the histogram level of texton-map at each superpixel level. There is a significant contribution here that the low features are not too much significant for the localization of brain tumour from MR images, but we have to make them meaningful by integrating features with the texton-map images at the region level approach. Then these features which are provided later to classifier for the prediction of three classes: background, tumour and non-tumour region, and used the labels for computation of two different areas (i.e. complete tumour and non-tumour). A Leave-one-out (LOOCV) cross validation technique is applied and achieves the dice overlap score of 88% for the whole tumour area localization, which is similar to the declared score in MICCAI BraTS challenge. This brain tumour localization approach using the textonmap image based on superpixel features illustrates the equivalent performance with other contemporary techniques. Recently, medical hypothesis generation by using autonomous computer based systems in disease diagnosis have given the great contribution in medical diagnosis.

Regioselective, one-pot, multi-component, green synthesis of substituted benzo[c]pyrazolo[2,7]naphthyridines

An efficient and environmentally benign synthetic protocol has been developed for the synthesis of benzo[c]pyrazolo[2,7]naphthyridine derivatives through regioselective multi-component “on-water” reaction of isatin, malononitrile and 3-aminopyrazole. The Knoevenagel condensation of isatin with malononitrile resulted in the formation of arylidene, which subsequently underwent Michael addition with 3-aminopyrazole followed by basic hydrolysis, cyclization, decarboxylation and aromatization to give the target naphthyridines in good to excellent yields. The one-pot multi-component protocol was also employed to obtain the said naphthyridines in a lower yield (10–15%) than obtained by basic hydrolysis of spiro-intermediates. The present study shows attractive features such as the use of water as a green solvent, short reaction time, reduced waste products and transition metal free C–C and C–N bond formation. The structures of the synthesized derivatives were established through FTIR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy and ESI-mass spectrometry.

An efficient and environmentally benign synthetic protocol has been developed for the synthesis of benzo[c]pyrazolo[2,7]naphthyridine derivatives through regioselective multi-component “on-water” reaction of isatin, malononitrile and 3-aminopyrazole.

A facile and concise route to (hydroxybenzoyl)pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine heterocycle derivatives: synthesis, and structural, spectral and computational exploration

In this work, we report the efficient synthesis of novel (hydroxybenzoyl)pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine heterocycle derivatives: 6-(2-hydroxy-5-methylbenzoyl)-1-methylpyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione (6a), 6-(5-fluoro-2-hydroxybenzoyl)-1-methylpyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione (6b), 6-(5-ethyl-2-hydroxybenzoyl)-1-methylpyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione (6c) and 6-(2-hydroxy-5-isopropylbenzoyl)-1-methylpyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione (6d). The chemical structures of the title compounds were ascertained by spectral techniques including ¹H, ¹³C NMR, UV-visible and FT-IR spectroscopy as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Additionally, density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent (TD-DFT) computation were adopted to analyze the electronic structures of 6a-d. Compounds 6a-d were computed in the ground state for FT-IR spectroscopic and natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis by DFT/B3LYP with the 6-311+G(d,p) basis set. UV-vis spectroscopic and HOMO and LUMO energy values for 6a-d were determined via TD-DFT/B3LYP with the 6-311+G(d,p) basis set. The optimized geometric parameters, UV-vis findings, and vibrational frequencies indicate good consistency with the experimental data. NBO analysis was conducted to explore the interactions and charge transfer among different orbitals in the title compounds. The HOMO and LUMO band gap (ΔE) values for 6a-d were found to be 3.93, 3.91, 4.10 and 3.91 eV, respectively. Molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) analysis explored the reactivity of the title compounds by predicting their nucleophilic as well as electrophilic sites.

Performance of Foundry Sand Concrete under Ambient and Elevated Temperatures

Waste foundry sand (WFS) is the by-product of the foundry industry. Utilizing it in the construction industry will protect the environment and its natural resources, and enable sustainable construction. WFS was employed in this research as a fractional substitution of natural sand by 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% in concrete. Several tests, including workability, compressive strength (CS), splitting tensile strength (STS), and flexural strength (FS), ultrasonic pulse velocity (USPV), Schmidt rebound hammer number (RHN), and residual compressive strengths (RCS) tests were performed to understand the behavior of concrete before and after exposure to elevated temperatures. Test findings showed that the strength characteristics were increased by including WFS at all the phases. For a substitute rate of 30%, the maximum compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural strength were observed. Replacement with WFS enhanced the 28-day compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural strength by 7.82%, 9.87%, and 10.35%, respectively at a 30% replacement level, and showed continuous improvement until the age of 91 days. The RCS of foundry sand concrete after one month of air cooling at ambient temperature after exposing to 300 °C, 400 °C, 500 °C, 600 °C, 700 °C, and 800 °C was found to be in the range of 67.50% to 71.00%, 57.50% to 61.50%, 49.00% to 51.50%, 38% to 41%, 31% to 35% and 26% to 31.5% of unheated compressive strength values for 0% to 40% replacement of WFS, respectively. The RCS decreases with increasing temperature; however, with increasing WFS, the RCS was enhanced in comparison to the control samples. In addition, the replacement of 30% yielded excellent outcomes. Hence, this study provides a sustainable construction material that will preserve the Earth’s natural resources and provide a best use of WFS.

Quality-improvement program for ultrasound-based fetal anatomy screening using large-scale clinical audit

OBJECTIVE

A large-scale audit and peer review of ultrasound images may improve sonographer performance, but is rarely performed consistently as it is time-consuming and expensive. The aim of this study was to perform a large-scale audit of routine fetal anatomy scans to assess if a full clinical audit cycle can improve clinical image-acquisition standards.

METHODS

A large-scale, clinical, retrospective audit was conducted of ultrasound images obtained during all routine anomaly scans performed from 18 + 0 to 22 + 6 weeks' gestation at a UK hospital during 2013 (Cycle 1), to build a baseline understanding of the performance of sonographers. Targeted actions were undertaken in response to the findings with the aim of improving departmental performance. A second full-year audit was then performed of fetal anatomy ultrasound images obtained during the following year (Cycle 2). An independent pool of experienced sonographers used an online tool to assess all scans in terms of two parameters: scan completeness (i.e. were all images archived?) and image quality using objective scoring (i.e. were images of high quality?). Both were assessed in each audit at the departmental level and at the individual sonographer level. A random sample of 10% of scans was used to assess interobserver reproducibility.

RESULTS

In Cycle 1 of the audit, 103 501 ultrasound images from 6257 anomaly examinations performed by 22 sonographers were assessed; in Cycle 2, 153 557 images from 6406 scans performed by 25 sonographers were evaluated. The analysis was performed including the images obtained by the 20 sonographers who participated in both cycles. Departmental median scan completeness improved from 72% in the first year to 78% at the second assessment (P < 0.001); median image-quality score for all fetal views improved from 0.83 to 0.86 (P < 0.001). The improvement was greatest for those sonographers who performed poorest in the first audit; with regards to scan completeness, the poorest performing 15% of sonographers in Cycle 1 improved by more than 30 percentage points, and with regards to image quality, the poorest performing 11% in Cycle 1 showed a more than 10% improvement. Interobserver repeatability of scan completeness and image-quality scores across different fetal views were similar to those in the published literature.

CONCLUSIONS

A clinical audit and a set of targeted actions helped improve sonographer scan-acquisition completeness and scan quality. Such adherence to recommended clinical acquisition standards may increase the likelihood of correct measurement and thereby fetal growth assessment, and should allow better detection of abnormalities. As such a large-scale audit is time consuming, further advantages would be achieved if this process could be automated. © 2018 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Synthesis and in vitro Bio-activity Evaluation of N4-benzyl Substituted 5-Chloroisatin-3-thiosemicarbazones as Urease and Glycation Inhibitors

A series of fifteen N4-benzyl substituted 5-chloroisatin-3-thiosemicarbazones 5a-o were synthesized and screened mainly for their antiurease and antiglycation effects. Lemna aequinocitalis growth and Artemia salina assays were carried out to determine their phytotoxicity and cytotoxicity potential. All the compounds proved to be extremely effective urease inhibitors, demonstrating enzyme inhibition much better than the reference inhibitor, thiourea (IC50 values 1.31 ± 0.06 to 3.24 ± 0.15 vs. 22.3 ± 1.12 μM). On the other hand, eight out of fifteen compounds tested, i.e. 5b, 5c, 5h-k, 5m and 5n were found to be potent glycation inhibitors. Of these, five viz. 5c, 5h-j and 5n proved to be exceedingly efficient, displaying glycation inhibition greater than the reference inhibitor, rutin (IC50 values 114.51 ± 1.08 to 229.94 ± 3.40 vs. 294.5 ± 1.5 μM).