Search

Medical image segmentation is a technique for detecting boundaries in a 2D or 3D image automatically or semiautomatically. The enormous range of the medical image is a considerable challenge for image segmentation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to aid in the detection and existence of brain tumors. This approach, however, requires exact delineation of the tumor location inside the brain scan. To solve this, an optimization algorithm will be one of the most successful techniques for distinguishing pixels of interest from the background, but its performance is reliant on the starting values of the centroids. The primary goal of this work is to segment tumor areas within brain MRI images. After converting the gray MRI image to a color image, a multiobjective modified ABC algorithm is utilized to separate the tumor from the brain. The intensity determines the RGB color generated in the image. The simulation results are assessed in terms of performance metrics such as accuracy, precision, specificity, recall, F-measure, and the time in seconds required by the system to segment the tumor from the brain. The performance of the proposed algorithm is computed with other algorithms like the single-objective ABC algorithm and multiobjective ABC algorithm. The results prove that the proposed multiobjective modified ABC algorithm is efficient in analyzing and segmenting the tumor from brain images., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Priyanka Dahiya et al.)

Purpose: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most important neurodegenerative diseases and accompanied by the production of free radicals and inflammatory factors. Studies have shown that p-cymene has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. Here, the effects of this compound were investigated on a rat model of AD., Methods: In order to create Alzheimer's rat model, bilateral injection of Amyloid β1-42 (Aβ1-42) into rats hippocampus was performed. Both therapeutic (post-AD induction) and preventive effects of p-cymene consumption with doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg were investigated. In addition, the effects of adding short-term exercise to the process were also observed. In vitro, Aβ1-42 peptide was driven toward fibril formation and effect of p-cymene was observed on the resulting fibrils., Results: Learning and memory indices in the AD rats were significantly reduced compared to the Sham group, while p-cymene consumption with both doses, as well as performing exercise counteracted AD consequences. Moreover, increased neurogenesis and reduced amyloid plaques counts were observed in treated rats. In vitro formed fibrils of Aβ1-42 were partially disaggregated in the presence of p-cymene., Discussion: p-Cymene could act on this AD model via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as well as direct anti-fibril effect., Conclusion: p-cymene can improve AD-related disorders including memory impairment., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestAll authors declare to have no conflict of interests., (© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020.)

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) seed and oil have long been used widely as healthy foods to supply energy and prevent aging. Some of the main active anti-oxidative constituents in sesame seeds are γ-tocopherol and phenols. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between roasting temperature and time with γ-tocopherol and total phenolic compounds (TPC) of sesame seeds when roasted in a domestic electric oven. Eight cultivars of sesame seeds in this study were Darab, Dezful, Karaj, Moghan, Naz- Branching, Naz-NonBranching, Siah and Varamin. Each cultivar was divided into ten group based on the roasting time (10, 15 and 20 min) and temperatures (180, 200 and 220 °C)andunroasted one. The high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and spectrophotometeric methods were used for γ-tocopherol (n = 80) and TPC (n = 80) analysis, respectively. The γ-tocopherol content ranged from 329 ± 5 mg/L in Naz-Branching sesame oil to 1114±7 mg/L in Siah sesame oil and 169±6 to 577±1 mg/kg in sesame seed respectively. γ-tocopherol content of six cultivars increased significantly (p < 0.05) as the roasting temperature and time; until 200 °C for 10 min, but they were decreased by roasting at 220 °C in longer time. Also TPC increased significantly as the roasting temperature. The amount of TPC varied in different sesame cultivars from 20.109 ± 3.967 μM to 129.300±3.493 in Varamin and Naz- Branching sesame seed cultivars, respectively, also TPC increased from 70.953 ± 5.863 μM in unroasted Naz-Branching sesame seed to 129.300 ± 3.493 μM after roasting in 200 °C for 20 min. The present study showed that Iranian sesame seed can be considered as a good source of natural antioxidant specially after roasting. The optimum temperature and time roasting to obtain the most γ-tocopherol and total phenolic content was 200 °C for 10 and 20 min, respectively.