bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lopinavir/ritonavir is associated with pneumonia resolution in COVID‐19 patients with influenza coinfection: A retrospective matched‐pair cohort study
Authors: Yu Chong , Zhang Zhiguo , Guo Yujiao , Shi Jing , Pei Guangchang , Yao Ying , Liao Wenhui , Zeng Rui
Published: July 2020

During the early stages of the pandemic, some coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) patients were misdiagnosed as having influenza, which aroused the concern that some deaths attributed to influenza were actually COVID‐19‐related. However, little is known about whether coinfection with influenza contributes to severity of COVID‐19 pneumonia, and the optimal therapeutic strategy for these patients. We retrospectively studied 128 hospitalized patients with COVID‐19 pneumonia. All patients were positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 positive by nucleic acid detection. Sixty‐four cases were coinfected with influenza A/B and the other 64 were influenza negative, matched by age, sex, and days from onset of symptoms. Among the 64 coinfected patients, 54 (84.4%) were coinfected with influenza A, and 10 (15.6%) with influenza B. The median duration of viral shedding time from admission was longer for patients with influenza coinfection (17.0 days) than for those without influenza coinfection (12.0 days) (P < .001). The multivariable Cox proportional hazards model showed that the hazards ratio of resolution in lung involvement was 1.878 (P = .020) for patients administered lopinavir/ritonavir, compared with those not administered lopinavir/ritonavir (95% confidence interval: 1.103‐3.196). Among influenza coinfected patients, those treated with lopinavir/ritonavir exhibited faster pneumonia resolution within 2 weeks after symptom onset (37% vs 1%; P = .001). There was no difference in lung involvement between influenza coinfected and noninfected groups. Lopinavir/ritonavir eliminated the difference of lung involvement between influenza coinfected and noninfected groups, indicating that lopinavir/ritonavir is associated with pneumonia resolution in COVID‐19.
Chronic intermittent ethanol and lipopolysaccharide exposure differentially alter Iba1‐derived microglia morphology in the prelimbic cortex and nucleus accumbens core of male Long‐Evans rats
Authors: Siemsen Benjamin M. , Landin Justine D. , McFaddin Jon A. , Hooker Kaylee N. , Chandler Lawrence J. , Scofield Michael D.
Published: July 2020

Accumulating evidence has linked pathological changes associated with chronic alcohol exposure to neuroimmune signaling mediated by microglia. Prior characterization of the microglial structure–function relationship demonstrates that alterations in activity states occur concomitantly with reorganization of cellular architecture. Accordingly, gaining a better understanding of microglial morphological changes associated with ethanol exposure will provide valuable insight into how neuroimmune signaling may contribute to ethanol‐induced reshaping of neuronal function. Here we have used Iba1‐staining combined with high‐resolution confocal imaging and 3D reconstruction to examine microglial structure in the prelimbic (PL) cortex and nucleus accumbens (NAc) in male Long‐Evans rats. Rats were either sacrificed at peak withdrawal following 15 days of exposure to chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) or 24 hr after two consecutive injections of the immune activator lipopolysaccharide (LPS), each separated by 24 hr. LPS exposure resulted in dramatic structural reorganization of microglia in the PL cortex, including increased soma volume, overall cellular volume, and branching complexity. In comparison, CIE exposure was associated with a subtle increase in somatic volume and differential effects on microglia processes, which were largely absent in the NAc. These data reveal that microglial activation following a neuroimmune challenge with LPS or exposure to chronic alcohol exhibits distinct morphometric profiles and brain region‐dependent specificity.
Establishing the Initial Validity of the REDFLAGS Model: Implications for College Counselors
Authors: Kalkbrenner Michael T. , Lopez Anna L. , Gibbs Jessica R.
Published: July 2020

The aim of this study was to initially validate the REDFLAGS model, 8 cautionary warning signs of mental distress in college students. A test of internal consistency reliability and factor analysis supported the model's reliability and construct validity. Hierarchical logistic regression models endorsed the model's predictive validity; students’ recognition of the REDFLAGS model was significantly associated with increases in the odds of a peer‐to‐peer referral to the counseling center. Implications for college counselors are discussed.
What Is the Personal and Professional Significance for the Trainee Therapist of Learning Emotion‐Focused Therapy?
Authors: Kennedy Francis , Moore Gerard Patrick
Published: July 2020

This heuristic study explores the impact of training in emotion‐focused therapy (EFT) on the personal and professional lives of the researcher and research participants. It provides personal accounts of growing emotional self‐awareness and suggests that training in EFT fostered increased emotional self‐assurance among participants and increased their authenticity with clients.
Hekla 1947, 1845, 1510 and 1158 tephra in Finland: challenges of tracing tephra from moderate eruptions
Authors: Kalliokoski Maarit , Guðmundsdóttir Esther Ruth , Wastegård Stefan
Published: July 2020

Several cryptotephra layers that originate from Icelandic volcanic eruptions with a volcanic explosivity index (VEI) of ≤ 4 and tephra volumes of < 1 km3 have previously been identified in Northern Europe, albeit within a restricted geographical area. One of these is the Hekla 1947 tephra that formed a visible fall‐out in southern Finland. We searched for the Hekla 1947 tephra from peat archives within the previously inferred fall‐out zone but found no evidence of its presence. Instead, we report the first identification of Hekla 1845 and Hekla 1510 cryptotephra layers outside of Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Ireland and the UK. Additionally, Hekla 1158 tephra was found in Finland for the first time. Our results confirm that Icelandic eruptions of moderate size can form cryptotephra deposits that are extensive enough to be used in inter‐regional correlations of environmental archives and carry a great potential for refining regional tephrochronological frameworks. Our results also reveal that Icelandic tephra has been dispersed into Finnish airspace at least seven times during the past millennium and in addition to a direct eastward route the ash clouds can travel either via a northerly or a southerly transport pathway.
Eosinophilic Sialodochitis: A Type of Chronic Obstructive Sialadenitis Related to Allergy
Authors: Zhu Wen‐Xuan , Chen Yan , Liu Deng‐Gao , Yu Guang‐Yan
Published: July 2020

Objectives

To investigate the clinical, laboratory, radiological, histopathological, and immunohistochemical features, and the expression of allergy‐related cytokines in eosinophilic sialodochitis (ES).

Methods

Thirty‐eight patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive sialadenitis (COS) who had undergone glandular excision or incisional biopsy were enrolled. Seventeen patients with comorbid atopic disease and increased ductal tissue eosinophils comprised the ES group, while 21 patients comprised the COS group. The clinicopathological features and allergy‐related cytokine expression were compared between groups.

Results

The ES group frequently involved multiple, bilateral major salivary glands, and the number of glands was significantly greater than the COS group (2.8 ± 1.1 vs. 1.2 ± 0.4, P < .001). Serum immunoglobulin (Ig) E was elevated in 91% of patients in ES group (419 ± 357 kU/L) and peripheral blood eosinophil was significantly greater compared with the COS group (7.6% ± 4.6% vs. 2.5% ± 1.4%, P < .001). Histologically, eosinophil infiltration in ES group was observed around the main and interlobular ducts (50 ± 39/high power field [HPF]). Follicular hyperplasia (76%), epithelial mucous metaplasia (82%), and mucus plugs with eosinophils (41%) were observed. IgE‐positive cell count was 20.7 ± 18.3/HPF and tryptase‐positive mast cell count was 23.5 ± 15.1/HPF, which was significantly greater than the respective cell counts in COS group, which mainly infiltrated around the ducts. The levels of interleukin‐4, interleukin‐13, and eotaxin in tissue were significantly greater in ES than the COS group.

Conclusions

The clinicopathological characteristics of ES are significantly different from COS and ES might have an allergy‐related pathogenesis.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 131:E800–E806, 2021
Esophageal Dysmotility is Common in Patients With Multiple System Atrophy
Authors: Ueha Rumi , Sato Taku , Goto Takao , Yamauchi Akihito , Nativ‐Zeltzer Nogah , Mitsui Jun , Belafsky Peter C. , Yamasoba Tatsuya
Published: July 2020

Objectives

Esophageal dysmotility (ED) in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of ED in patients with MSA and to assess the relationship of esophageal abnormalities with other clinical findings and characteristics in these patients.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was conducted to identify patients with MSA and to compare them to the elderly controls without MSA (65+ years) who underwent a videofluorographic esophagram from 2014 to 2019. Disease type, disease severity, vocal fold mobility impairment, abnormal deglutitive proximal esophageal contraction (ADPEC), and intra‐esophageal stasis (IES) were reviewed and compared between groups.

Results

Thirty‐seven patients with MSA were identified. The median age was 63 and 26 (70%) were male. These patients were matched to 22 elderly adults with presbylarynx but not MSA (median age 77, 68% male). In MSA patients, cerebellar variant type was predominant (59%), and ADPEC was recognized in 18 patients (49%). Disease severity level (P = 0.028) and existence of IES (P = 0.046) were associated with higher risks of developing ADPEC. The prevalence of IES was significantly higher in patients with MSA (95%) compared to controls without MSA (46%) (P < 0.001). Disease severity level and the existence of IES were significantly associated with the presence of ADPEC (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

ADPEC and IES were significantly more common in MSA than in elderly subjects without MSA. MSA severity is associated with the development of ADPEC. The data suggest that esophageal motility is predominantly affected in MSA.

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 131:832–838, 2021
Retropharyngeal Internal Carotid Artery Management in TORS Using Microvascular Reconstruction
Authors: Parhar Harman S. , Brody Robert M. , Shimunov David , Rajasekaran Karthik , Rassekh Christopher H. , Basu Devraj , O'Malley Bert W. , Chalian Ara A. , Newman Jason G. , Loevner Laurie , Lazor Jillian W. , Weinstein Gregory S. , Cannady Steven B.
Published: July 2020

Objectives

Guidelines for transoral robotic surgery (TORS) have generally regarded patients with retropharyngeal carotid arteries as contraindicated for surgery due to a theoretical risk of intraoperative vascular injury and/or perioperative cerebrovascular accident. We aimed to demonstrate that careful TORS‐assisted resection and free flap coverage could not only avoid intraoperative injury and provide a physical barrier for vessel coverage but also achieve adequate margin control.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort analysis.

Methods

Retrospective review of patients with oropharyngeal malignancies and radiologically confirmed retropharyngeal carotid arteries who underwent TORS, concurrent neck dissection, and free flap reconstruction between 2015 and 2019.

Results

Twenty patients were included, 19 (95.0%) with tonsillar tumors and one (5.0%) with a tongue base tumor with significant tonsillar extension. Eighteen patients (90.0%) received a radial artery forearm flap, one (5.0%) an ulnar artery forearm flap, and one (5.0%) an anteromedial thigh flap. All 20 (100%) flaps were inset through combined transcervical and transoral approaches without mandibulotomy. There were no perioperative mortalities, carotid injuries, oropharyngeal bleeds, cervical hematomas, or cerebrovascular accidents. One patient (5.0%) had a free flap failure requiring explant. All patients underwent decannulation and resumed a full oral diet. The mean length of hospitalization was 6.8 (standard deviation 1.2) days. One (5.0%) patient had a positive margin.

Conclusion

In this analysis, 20 patients with oropharyngeal malignancy and retropharyngeal carotid arteries underwent TORS, neck dissection, and microvascular reconstruction without serious complication (perioperative mortality, vascular injury, or neurologic sequalae) with an acceptable negative margin rate. These results may lead to a reconsideration of a commonly held contraindication to TORS.

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 131:E821–E827, 2021
Peripheral Vestibular Disorders: Nationwide Evidence From Taiwan
Authors: Yang Tzong‐Hann , Xirasagar Sudha , Cheng Yen‐Fu , Wu Chuan‐Song , Kuo Nai‐Wen , Lin Herng‐Ching
Published: July 2020

Objectives/Hypothesis

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of peripheral vestibular disorders in an Asian population of predominantly Han Chinese ethnicity.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Methods

Patients with a peripheral vertigo disorder were identified from the Taiwan Health Insurance Research Database, a database of all medical claims of a randomly selected, population‐representative sample of 2 million enrollees of Taiwan's National Health Insurance system covering over 99% of Taiwan's citizens. In 2016, 59,986 patients received a diagnosis of peripheral vestibular disorders in Taiwan. We calculated the population‐wide prevalence rates of peripheral vestibular disorders in 2016 by sex and age group (20 to 24, 25 to 29, 30 to 34, 35 to 39, 40 to 44, 45 to 49, 50 to 54, 55 to 59, 60 to 64, 65 to 69, and ≥ 70 years) stratified into five urbanization levels.

Results

The prevalence rate of peripheral vestibular disorders was 2,833.4 per 100,000 population during the year. Prevalence of Meniere's disease was 70.4 per 100,000, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, 446.4, vestibular neuritis 307.2, and other or unspecified peripheral vestibular dizziness, 2,009.5 per 100,000. Prevalence rates steadily increased with age for every type of peripheral vestibular disorder, and were higher among females compared to males. The female‐to‐male gender ratios were 1.84, 1.89, and 1.93 for Meniere's disease, vestibular neuritis, and other peripheral vestibular dizziness, respectively. Counties with the lowest urbanization level had the highest prevalence rates of all types of peripheral vestibular disorders except vestibular neuritis.

Conclusions

Results showed that peripheral vestibular disorders are common in Taiwan, increase with age, are predominantly female, and show higher prevalence in rural areas.

Level of Evidence

2b Laryngoscope, 131:639–643, 2021
Composition and diversity of prokaryotes at an iron ore post‐mining site revealed the natural resilience 10 years after mining exploitation
Authors: Cardoso Emanuelle Burgos , Júnior Paulo Prates , de Cássia Soares da Silva Marliane , Cerqueira Alan Emanuel Silva , Jordão Thuany Cerqueira , Moreira Bruno Coutinho , Pereira Eduardo Gusmão , Kasuya Maria Catarina Megumi
Published: July 2020

Prokaryotes play crucial roles in the rehabilitation process to restore the ecological integrity of disturbed areas. This work reports on the profiles of N‐fixing microorganisms and Actinobacteria, from DGGE, the prokaryotic composition from next‐generation sequencing (NGS) and physicochemical soil characteristics. We compared a deactivated mining site where mining ended about 10 years ago, when the revegetation process was begun (RV), and a reference site, with natural vegetation (NT), both located at Retiro das Almas Mine, in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero region, Minas Gerais, Brazil. In both sites, the most abundant archaeal and bacterial groups included Euryarchaeota, Thaumarchaeota, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia and revealed differences in their ecological metrics and distribution. Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were most abundant in RV sites, while Acidobacteria and Verrucomicrobia were most abundant in NT sites. Less abundant phyla, such as Bathyarchaeota (Archaea) and GAL 15 (Bacteria) were found only in NT, while Gracilibacteria, Ignavibacteriae BJ‐169, and BRC1 were only found in RV. The majority of identified bacterial genera were shared by RV and NT. Soil P, pH, and particle density were most significant (p < 0.05) in RV, while Fe, Ca, organic matter, potential acidity and dispersed clays, were most significant (p < 0.05) in NT, showing differences in soil characteristics, which led the prokaryotic composition in these sites. DGGE profiles of N‐fixing microorganisms revealed N‐fixing predominance in both sites, although after 10 years prokaryotes diversity increased in RV site. Our results revealed that prokaryotic structure and composition are indicative of RV soil resilience.
Salt‐tolerant broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) resists salt stress via modulation of cell wall biosynthesis and Na+ balance
Authors: Yuan Yu Hao , Li Jing , Ma Hong Chi , Yang Qing Hua , Liu Chun Juan , Feng Bai Li
Published: July 2020

Soil salinization threatens sustainable agricultural production and ecological balance in many parts of the world. Therefore, to breed plants with salt tolerance and discover the resistance genes are essential for enhancing salt tolerance adaptation. We studied phenotypic, physiological characteristics, and digital RNA sequencing of two broomcorn millet cultivars (salt tolerant cultivar, ST 47; salt sensitive cultivar, SS 212), stressed by 1% NaCl (w/w; ~170 mM) for 0, 12 hr, 1, 3, 7 days and subsequent re‐watering 7 days (RW 7 days). By comparative phenotype and physiology analysis we suggest ST 47 showed greater salt tolerance and faster recovery after re‐watering than SS 212, and lower Na+ contents and higher K+/Na+ ratio. Digital RNA sequencing analysis suggested 6,878 and 1,940 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in ST 47 at 12 hr (vs. 0 hr) and RW 7 days (vs. 0 hr), respectively, whereas 7,246 and 5,375 DEGs were identified in SS 212. DEG functional enrichments suggested ST 47 exhibited better regulation of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, carbon metabolism, and auxin and gibberellin signal transduction in response to salt stress via enhancing the cell wall biosynthesis. Furthermore, ionic stress signaling analysis proposed ST 47 better regulation of Na+ distribution in response to salt stress. These results provide valuable information for improving salinity tolerance in plants and studying the function of candidate genes governing salt tolerance in broomcorn millet.
Infrared spectroscopy approaches support soil organic carbon estimations to evaluate land degradation
Authors: Barthès Bernard G. , Chotte Jean‐Luc
Published: July 2020

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an acknowledged indicator for land degradation, but conventional determination of SOC remains tedious, especially regarding SOC stock (in kg C m−2 for a given depth layer), which is the product of SOC concentration (g C kg−1) by volumetric mass (kg dm−3). Diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy (DRIS) is a time‐ and cost‐effective approach, which uses calibrations for making predictions. The aim of this paper is to propose an overview of DRIS uses for estimating SOC, thus land degradation. Indeed, many papers have demonstrated the precision of DRIS for quantifying SOC concentration, at different scales. Current development of large soil calibration databases and improvements in spectral data analysis pave the way for ever‐wider use of DRIS, which should help solving the soil data crisis, regarding SOC especially. The increasing availability of portable spectrometers allows SOC quantification in the field, which seems particularly promising; but large calibration databases made of soil spectra acquired in the field are difficult to build, while large collections of analyzed soil samples (air‐dried, 2‐mm sieved) already exist. Some recent studies indicate that DRIS can also be used for predicting SOC stock, even from sieved samples, which represents an efficient option because determining the volumetric mass is particularly tedious and an obstacle for exactly specifying the role of soils in the global carbon cycle. In short, DRIS has strong potential for supporting better evaluation of soil and land degradation, and the availability of spectrometers at increasingly affordable prices reinforces this potential.
A Multi‐Site, Single‐Blinded, Prospective Pilot Clinical Trial for Non‐Invasive Fat Reduction of the Abdomen and Flanks Using a Monopolar 2 MHz Radiofrequency Device
Authors: Somenek Michael T. , Ronan Stephen J. , Pittman Troy A.
Published: July 2020

Background and Objectives

Demand for non‐invasive body sculpting procedures has been steadily increasing, spurring the development of new energy‐based technologies. This study assessed the safety and efficacy of a new monopolar 2 MHz radiofrequency (RF) device for fat reduction of the flanks and abdomen.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

Nineteen subjects from two clinical sites were enrolled in this study and received a single 15‐minute treatment with the 2 MHz RF device. Up to six applicators were placed on the abdomen and/or flanks during the treatment. Follow‐up assessments were scheduled 12 weeks after treatment. Efficacy evaluations included live ratings and Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) ratings by blinded investigators, ultrasound measurements of fat thickness, and patient‐reported outcomes before and after treatment.

Results

Investigator assessments showed more than one‐point change in the GAIS scale at the 12‐week follow‐up visit. Ultrasound measurements revealed a significant reduction in fat thickness in both the abdomen (average 24%) and the flanks (22%). The majority of the patients were satisfied with the treatment and mild self‐resolving side effects were observed. No serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusions

Treatment of local adiposities with a new monopolar 2 MHz radiofrequency device leads to improvement of body contour with no downtime or side effects. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC
Crescent‐Shaped Hyperpigmentation Following Laser Hair Removal: Case Series of Fifteen Patients
Authors: Alajlan Abdulmajeed
Published: July 2020

Background and Objectives

Post‐inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is a common adverse effect of laser hair removal procedures. This case series emphasizes the under‐reported crescent‐shaped form of PIH that may occur following laser therapy. This case series sought to assess the potential causes of the distinct, crescent‐shaped form of PIH that may arise following laser hair removal procedures, and to examine the concept of thermal versus cryogenic damage, which was discovered accidentally due misalignments between laser–cryogen spurts.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

A retrospective, multicentre case recruitment was undertaken, involving three laser centers and presented in the form of a case series. The included patients were individuals with crescent‐shaped PIH following laser hair removal.

Results

Fifteen patients were recruited over 12 months. All patients were treated with the GentleLase system (Candella) with built‐in cryogen spurt. Prior to the study, only one patient had suffered from PIH following laser hair removal. Most patients improved partially or completely both with and without the use of bleaching compounds. After testing one machine, it was found that the cryogen spurt was misaligned. It was not located in the circle of the laser beam, thereby leaving a crescent shape of uncooled but laser‐treated skin. A trial on one patient with cryogen alone did not cause PIH, whereas a trial with the laser alone caused PIH.

Conclusion

The appearance of crescent‐shaped marks following PIH is a distinct and uncommon adverse effect associated with laser hair removal procedures. This case series suggests that it arises due to the malfunctioning of the built‐in cryogen spurt device, leading to a deficit in cooling a portion of the treated skin, urging checking the built‐in cryogen spurt device. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, LLC
In Vivo Molecular Signatures of Cerebellar Pathology in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3
Authors: Costa Maria do Carmo , Radzwion Maria , McLoughlin Hayley S. , Ashraf Naila S. , Fischer Svetlana , Shakkottai Vikram G. , Maciel Patrícia , Paulson Henry L. , Öz Gülin
Published: July 2020

Background

No treatment exists for the most common dominantly inherited ataxia Machado‐Joseph disease, or spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3). Successful evaluation of candidate therapeutics will be facilitated by validated noninvasive biomarkers of disease pathology recapitulated by animal models.

Objective

We sought to identify shared in vivo neurochemical signatures in two mouse models of SCA3 that reflect the human disease pathology.

Methods

Cerebellar neurochemical concentrations in homozygous YACMJD84.2 (Q84/Q84) and hemizygous CMVMJD135 (Q135) mice were measured by in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 9.4 tesla. To validate the neurochemical biomarkers, levels of neurofilament medium (NFL; indicator of neuroaxonal integrity) and myelin basic protein (MBP; indicator of myelination) were measured in cerebellar lysates from a subset of mice and patients with SCA3. Finally, NFL and MBP levels were measured in the cerebellar extracts of Q84/Q84 mice upon silencing of the mutant ATXN3 gene.

Results

Both Q84/Q84 and Q135 mice displayed lower N‐acetylaspartate than wild‐type littermates, indicating neuroaxonal loss/dysfunction, and lower myo‐inositol and total choline, indicating disturbances in phospholipid membrane metabolism and demyelination. Cerebellar NFL and MBP levels were accordingly lower in both models as well as in the cerebellar cortex of patients with SCA3 than controls. Importantly, N‐acetylaspartate and total choline correlated with NFL and MPB, respectively, in Q135 mice. Long‐term sustained RNA interference (RNAi)‐mediated reduction of ATXN3 levels increased NFL and MBP in Q84/Q84 cerebella.

Conclusions

N‐acetylaspartate, myo‐inositol, and total choline levels in the cerebellum are candidate biomarkers of neuroaxonal and oligodendrocyte pathology in SCA3, aspects of pathology that are reversible by RNAi therapy. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Dilated conditional GAN for bone suppression in chest radiographs with enforced semantic features
Authors: Zhou Zhizhen , Zhou Luping , Shen Kaikai
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this essay is to improve computer‐aided diagnosis of lung diseases by the removal of bone structures imagery such as ribs and clavicles, which may shadow a clinical view of lesions. This paper aims to develop an algorithm to suppress the imaging of bone structures within clinical x‐ray images, leaving a residual portrayal of lung tissue; such that these images can be used to better serve applications, such as lung nodule detection or pathology based on the radiological reading of chest x rays.

Methods

We propose a conditional Adversarial Generative Network (cGAN) (Mirza and Osindero, Conditional generative adversarial nets, 2014.) model, consisting of a generator and a discriminator, for the task of bone shadow suppression. The proposed model utilizes convolutional operations to expand the size of the receptive field of the generator without losing contextual information while downsampling the image. It is trained by enforcing both the pixel‐wise intensity similarity and the semantic‐level visual similarity between the generated x‐ray images and the ground truth, via optimizing an L‐1 loss of the pixel intensity values on the generator side and a feature matching loss on the discriminator side, respectively.

Results

The framework we propose is trained and tested on an open‐access chest radiograph dataset for benchmark. Results show that our model is capable of generating bone‐suppressed images of outstanding quality with a limited number of training samples (N = 272).

Conclusions

Our approach outperforms current state‐of‐the‐art bone suppression methods using x‐ray images. Instead of simply downsampling images at different scales, our proposed method mitigates the loss of contextual information by utilizing dilated convolutions, which gains a noticeable quality improvement for the outputs. On the other hand, our experiment shows that enforcing the semantic similarity between the generated and the ground truth images assists the adversarial training process and achieves better perceptual quality.
An optimized and highly repeatable MRI acquisition and processing pipeline for quantitative susceptibility mapping in the head‐and‐neck region
Authors: Karsa Anita , Punwani Shonit , Shmueli Karin
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM) is an emerging technique sensitive to disease‐related changes including oxygenation. It is extensively used in brain studies and has increasing clinical applications outside the brain. Here we present the first MRI acquisition protocol and QSM pipeline optimized for the head‐and‐neck region together with a repeatability analysis performed in healthy volunteers.

Methods

We investigated both the intrasession and the intersession repeatability of the optimized method in 10 subjects. We also implemented two, Tikhonov‐regularisation‐based susceptibility calculation techniques that were found to have higher contrast‐to‐noise than existing methods in the head‐and‐neck region. Repeatability was evaluated by calculating the distributions of susceptibility differences between repeated scans and the corresponding minimum detectable effect sizes (MDEs).

Results

Deep brain regions had higher QSM repeatability than neck regions. As expected, intrasession repeatability was generally better than intersession repeatability. Susceptibility maps calculated using projection onto dipole fields for background field removal were more repeatable than using the Laplacian boundary value method in the head‐and‐neck region. Small (short‐axis diameter <5 mm) lymph nodes had the lowest repeatability (MDE = 0.27 ppm) as imperfect segmentation included some of the surrounding paramagnetic fatty fascia, highlighting the importance of accurate region delineation. MDEs in the larger lymph nodes (0.16 ppm), submandibular glands (0.10 ppm), and especially the parotid glands (0.06 ppm) were much lower, comparable to those of the brain regions.

Conclusions

The high repeatability of the acquisition and pipeline optimized for QSM will facilitate clinical studies in the head‐and‐neck region.
Does globalization affect export performance in India? An empirical insight
Authors: Dash Aruna Kumar
Published: July 2020

The present paper examines the effect of economic globalization on India's aggregate export performance during the period from 1995:M1 to 2016:M12. We use various macroeconomic variables such as export, relative price, nominal effective exchange rate (NEER), GDP per capita, and economic globalization. We employ Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to find out the long‐run equilibrium relationship among the variables considered. The empirical results indicate that there exists a long‐run equilibrium relationship between export, relative price, NEER, GDP per capita and economic globalization. Further, in the long run, we find that India's export performance is influenced by economic globalization, GDP per capita and relative price. However, in the short run, export performance is influenced by economic globalization, relative price, NEER and GDP per capita. In the short run, 1% increase in economic globalization will lead to increase in the volume of export by 0.77%; whereas, in the long run, it is 3.40%. Hence, sustainability of export in the long run is a matter of concern for policy makers.
Built‐in software in children on long‐term ventilation in real life practice
Authors: Onofri Alessandro , Pavone Martino , De Santis Simone , Verrillo Elisabetta , Caggiano Serena , Ullmann Nicola , Paglietti Maria Giovanna , Chiarini Testa Beatrice , Cutrera Renato
Published: July 2020

Information gathered with built‐in software (BIS) on new ventilators allow clinicians to access long‐term noninvasive ventilation (LTNIV) data. Nevertheless, few evidence are available in literature that highlight potential strengths and disadvantages of using BIS in pediatrics. We aim to evaluate the use of BIS in a cohort of 90 children on LTNIV in our unit, focusing mainly on adherence, air leaks, and residual sleep events. We found that caregivers' perception of ventilator use is independent from objective adherence (P = .137). Furthermore, we failed to find any predictors of adherence. As regards air leaks, we found that pre‐scholars' (0‐6 years old) total air leaks are lower than teenagers' (more than 12 years old) (P < .05). Multiple regressive analysis showed that age at the beginning of therapy is a predictor of total air leaks: prescholars are associated with lower values (P < .05), while scholars (6‐12 years old) are associated with higher values (P < .05). Finally, we explored the validity of BIS automatic scoring of sleep events (AHIBIS) as compared with the manual scoring of polygraphy (AHIPG). AHIBIS is within a range of 3.98 from AHIPG in 95% of cases, with a 64% of sensitivity and a 67% of specificity in identifying a pathological state. The disagreement between the two methods seems to increase for high AHI values. In conclusion, data gathered by BIS are a useful support tool for the clinician in assessing the course of LTNIV. However, clinicians must be aware of the several limitations of built‐in software, especially in pediatrics.
Electronic adherence monitoring identifies severe preschool wheezers who are steroid responsive
Authors: Bingham Yvonne , Sanghani Nina , Cook James , Hall Pippa , Jamalzadeh Angela , Moore‐Crouch Rachael , Bush Andrew , Fleming Louise , Saglani Sejal
Published: July 2020

Little is known about adherence to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in preschool children with troublesome wheeze. Children with aeroallergen senitization, or those reporting multiple trigger wheeze (MTW), are more likely to respond to ICS. We hypothesized that adherence to ICS and symptom control are only positively related in atopic children, or those reporting MTW. Patients aged 1 to 5 years with recurrent wheeze prescribed ICS were recruited from a tertiary respiratory clinic. Clinical phenotype and aeroallergen senitization were determined, and adherence assessed using an electronic monitoring device (Smartinhaler). Symptom control (test for respiratory and asthma control in kids [TRACK]), quality of life (PACQLQ), airway inflammation (offline exhaled nitric oxide) were assessed at baseline and follow‐up. Forty‐eight children (mean age 3.7 years; SD, 1.2) were monitored for a median of 112 (interquartile range [IQR], 91‐126) days. At baseline n = 29 reported episodic viral wheeze and n = 19 reported MTW. Twenty‐four out of 48 (50%) wheezers had suboptimal ICS adherence (<80%). Median adherence was 64% (IQR, 38‐84). There was a significant increase in TRACK and PACQLQ in the group as a whole, unrelated to adherence. In subgroup analysis only atopic wheezers with moderate or good adherence ≥ 60% had a significant increase in TRACK. There was no relationship between clinical phenotype, and adherence or TRACK. In this pilot study, overall adherence to ICS was suboptimal and was positively related to symptom control in atopic wheezers only. Assessments of adherence are important in preschool troublesome wheezers before therapy escalation to help identify those with an ICS responsive phenotype.
Effect of Elagolix Exposure on Clinical Efficacy End Points in Phase III Trials in Women With Endometriosis‐Associated Pain: An Application of Markov Model
Authors: Winzenborg Insa , Polepally Akshanth R. , Nader Ahmed , Mostafa Nael M. , Noertersheuser Peter , Ng Juki
Published: July 2020

Elagolix is an oral gonadotropin‐releasing hormone antagonist approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the management of moderate‐to‐severe pain associated with endometriosis and in combination with estradiol/norethindrone acetate approved for the management of heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine leiomyomas (fibroids) in premenopausal women. The objective of this work was to characterize the relationships between elagolix exposures and clinical efficacy response rates for dysmenorrhea (DYS) and nonmenstrual pelvic pain (NMPP) in premenopausal women enrolled in the pivotal phase III studies with moderate‐to‐severe pain associated with endometriosis. Relationships between elagolix average concentrations (Cavg) and efficacy responses (DYS and NMPP) were characterized using a nonlinear mixed‐effects discrete‐time first order Markov modeling approach. Only age was statistically significant for NMPP but not considered clinically relevant. This work indicates that the selection of elagolix dose is not determined based on tested patient demographics, baseline, or endometriosis disease severity measures in covariate analysis. In other words, the work suggests no preference of one regimen over the other to treat endometriosis‐associated pain (DYS or NMPP) for any patient subpopulation based on tested covariate groups.
High‐Power and High‐Energy Cu‐Substituted LixNi0.88–yCoyMn0.1Cu0.02O2 Cathode Material for Li‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Molenda Janina , Milewska Anna , Rybski Michal , Lu Li , Zajac Wojciech , Gerasin Sergii , Tobola Janusz
Published: July 2020

This article discusses both practical and theoretical aspects of operation of Li‐ion batteries. Herein, structural, transport, and electrochemical properties as well as electronic structure of Cu‐substituted LiNi0.9–y–z
Co
y
Mn0.1Cu
z
O2 mixed oxides—candidate cathode materials for Li‐ion batteries—of the material are reported. The presented data show that copper has a beneficial effect on electronic transport properties, lithium diffusion, and cathodes performance. Battery on the base on the developed LiNi0.88–y
Co
y
Mn0.1Cu0.02O2 cathode materials is characterized by high voltage, high capacity, and high rate capability, which guarantees high energy and power densities. The correlation between the results of electronic structure calculations, the transport properties, and electrochemical behavior of Li
x
Ni0.58Co0.3Mn0.1Cu0.02O2–δ
cathode is shown.
Recyclable mono materials for packaging of fresh chicken fillets: New design for recycling in circular economy
Authors: Pettersen Marit Kvalvåg , Grøvlen Magnhild Seim , Evje Nina , Radusin Tanja
Published: July 2020

The focus on sustainability and circular economy is leading to a need for development of new food packaging concepts, including recyclable materials that ideally consist of a single material in a monolayer system. This research was focused on the possibility of replacing complex multilayered material [amorphous polyethylene terephthalate/polyethylene (APET/PE)] with simple recyclable mono material [high‐density polyethylene (HDPE)] for packaging of chicken fillets in modified atmosphere packaging (CO2/N2: 60%/40%). Bacterial growth measured as total viable count (TVC), lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae, Brochothrix thermosphacta and Escherichia coli for chicken fillets packed in HDPE mono materials was compared with chicken fillets packed in APET/PE.

TVC increased during the storage period (24 days) with high level of TVC count (7 log10 CFU/g) recorded at Days 19–20 of storage in both HDPE and APET/PE material. No significant differences were recorded in off‐odour between chicken stored in APET/PE compared with HDPE in CO2/N2 atmosphere during the storage period (samples were regarded as acceptable on the 24th day of storage). The drip loss increased in all samples during storage, and no significant differences between samples stored in different materials were recorded.

Significant differences in bacterial growth were recorded between samples with different gas volume to product volume (G/P) ratio (Day 17), implying that higher G/P ratio is resulting in lower TVC count. The lowest G/P ratio caused the highest drip loss, whereas addition of CO2 emitter reduced the drip loss to some extent.

This research is very encouraging as it provides new insight into the use of monolayer materials as well as the importance of design for recycling in circular economy.
Different glycolipids in sperm from different freshwater fishes – A high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry study
Authors: Engel Kathrin M. , Dzyuba Viktoriya , Dzyuba Borys , Schiller Jürgen
Published: July 2020

Rationale

Glycolipids play important roles in many physiological processes – despite their commonly low abundance. This study summarizes selected data on the (glyco)lipid composition of sperm from different fish species.

Methods

Lipid extraction of fish sperm was performed according to the procedure by Bligh and Dyer. The lipid composition of the organic extracts was analyzed by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOFMS) and electrospray ionization ion trap (ESI‐IT)MS coupled to high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography (HPTLC).

Results

It was shown that sperm from carp, northern pike, rainbow trout and burbot contain high amounts of neutral and acidic glycosphingolipids as well as sulfoglycolipids. These particular lipids are presumably involved in reproduction requirements.

Conclusions

Phospholipids and glycolipids in crude lipid extracts can be analyzed in parallel by MS coupled to TLC. The direct application of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) helps to elucidate the glycolipid structure. Thus, compositional analysis can be performed very rapidly.
Free trade agreements and world obesity
Authors: Baggio Michele , Chong Alberto
Published: July 2020

We study the causal link between trade openness via free trade agreements (FTAs) and obesity rates. When applying a difference‐in‐differences approach by exploiting the year a country entered a free trade agreement with the United States during the period 1990–2016. We find a positive and causal impact of FTAs on obesity rates, which are statistically and economically significant. We show that our findings are robust to placebo tests, the use of synthetic control methods, and a maximized sample. Furthermore, we show that when using an event studies approach the equal trends assumption holds.
Effect of Potato Storage and Reconditioning Parameters on Physico–Chemical Characteristics of Isolated Starch
Authors: Pobereżny Jarosław , Wszelaczyńska Elżbieta , Gościnna Katarzyna , Spychaj‐Fabisiak Ewa
Published: July 2020

This work aims to determine the effect of time, temperature of storage and the reconditioning process on the physico–chemical characteristics of isolated starch of the potato cultivar used in the production of french fries. The storage and reconditioning processes result in a significant reduction in the large‐size grain (SSG) fraction > 40.1 μm. Long‐term storage (nine months) results in a significant increase in acidity (SA) and a decrease in the amylose (AM) content in starch by 16.5% and 1.3%, respectively. A significantly lower starch stability (SDS) is obtained after storage at a higher temperature (6 °C) and it is 36.6% and 38.8% lower on average for the starch without reconditioning and after reconditioning, respectively. The phosphorus (Ptot) content in starch after harvest averages 647 mg kg−1. Starch from potatoes stored at 2 °C or 6 °C contains on average 1.5% more Ptot than starch from tubers before storage. The starch lightness L‐value significantly depends on the SSG (r = 0.851) and SA (r = −0.760). The best french frie quality (FFQ) values are obtained for starches extracted after harvest and reaches 4.8 points. Reconditioning of tubers after storage results in a significant improvement in the FFQ (0.8 point).
Regulation of ABO blood group antigen expression by miR-331-3p and miR-1908-5p during hematopoietic stem cell differentiation
Authors: Kronstein-Wiedemann Romy , Nowakowska Paulina , Milanov Peter , Gubbe Knut , Seifried Erhard , Bugert Peter , Chavakis Triantafyllos , Tonn Torsten
Published: July 2020

The ABO blood group system is the most important factor in clinical transfusion medicine and is implicated in a number of human diseases. ABO antigens are not confined to red blood cells (RBCs) and are widely expressed in a variety of human cells and tissues. To date, many alleles with variant ABO expression have been identified and in many cases traced to one of the >250 reported genetic variations in the respective glycosyltransferase. The role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the regulation of blood group antigens during erythropoiesis has not been addressed, however. Here, we show that miR-331-3p and miR-1908-5p directly target the mRNA of glycosyltransferases A and B. Expression levels of miR-331-3p and miR-1908-5p inversely correlated with levels of blood group A antigen. In addition, we found that overexpression of these miRNAs in hematopoietic stem cells led to a significantly reduced number of blood group A antigens per RBC. Simultaneous targeting of the transcription factor (TF) SP1 by miR-331-3p further enhanced these effects. The targeting rendered SP1 incapable of binding to the ABO gene promoter, causing further downregulation of blood group A antigen expression by up to 70%. Taken together, expression changes in these miRNAs may account for rare cases of weak A/B phenotypes that genetic variations in the glycosyltransferase coding region cannot explain. These results also suggest an explanation for the disappearance of ABH antigens during carcinogenesis and point to new therapeutic targets in ABO mismatched organ transplantation.
Children's concepts of gears and their promotion through play
Authors: Reuter Timo , Leuchter Miriam
Published: July 2020

The mechanical transmission of motion, which is observable in gears’ turning direction (TD) and turning speed (TS) can be understood as part of the core concept “force and motion”. Previous studies have suggested that most children before the age of nine have naïve concepts of gears’ TD and TS. However, these studies relied on children's explanation data and might have therefore underestimated young children's potential. Moreover, these studies did not examine whether preschoolers can overcome their naïve concepts through teaching. Recently, educators have proposed guided play as an educational approach that combines children's play with teacher guidance in a purposefully designed environment. We conducted two subsequent studies. In Study 1, we investigated the children's (naïve) concepts of gears’ TD and TS with a cross‐sectional approach using a nonverbal test procedure. This study comprised 248 children aged 5–10 years and 73 adults. The results showed that the proportion of children with adequate concepts increased with age. More specifically, 7‐ to 8‐year‐olds differed significantly from 5‐ to 6‐year‐olds, indicating a developmental shift around this age. However, naïve concepts of TS were more persistent with age than naïve concepts of TD. Altogether, the results indicated the potential to foster 5‐ to 6‐year‐olds’ concepts of both TD and TS in an intervention. Thus, in Study 2, we developed and tested a guided play intervention to foster 5‐ to 6‐year‐old children's concepts of TD and TS. We conducted a prepost‐intervention design with a guided play group (n = 19) and a free play group (n = 21). The results suggested stronger learning gains in the guided play group (dTD = 0.337, dTS = 0.758) than in the free play group (dTD = 0.224, dTS = 0.158).