Category: Nevin Manimala

J Magn Reson Imaging. 2022 Feb 10. doi: 10.1002/jmri.28114. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is useful for evaluating intracranial aneurysm recurrence, but the problem of severe background noise and low peripheral signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) remain. Deep learning could reduce noise using high- and low-quality images.

PURPOSE: To develop a cycle-consistent generative adversarial network (cycleGAN)-based deep learning model to generate synthetic TOF (synTOF) using PETRA.

STUDY TYPE: Retrospective.

POPULATION: A total of 377 patients (mean age: 60 ± 11; 293 females) with treated intracranial aneurysms who underwent both PETRA and TOF from October 2017 to January 2021. Data were randomly divided into training (49.9%, 188/377) and validation (50.1%, 189/377) groups.

FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: Ultra-short echo time and TOF-MRA on a 3-T MR system.

ASSESSMENT: For the cycleGAN model, the peak SNR (PSNR) and structural similarity (SSIM) were evaluated. Image quality was compared qualitatively (5-point Likert scale) and quantitatively (SNR). A multireader diagnostic optimality evaluation was performed with 17 radiologists (experience of 1-18 years).

STATISTICAL TESTS: Generalized estimating equation analysis, Friedman’s test, McNemar test, and Spearman’s rank correlation. P < 0.05 indicated statistical significance.

RESULTS: The PSNR and SSIM between synTOF and TOF were 17.51 [16.76; 18.31] dB and 0.71 ± 0.02. The median values of overall image quality, noise, sharpness, and vascular conspicuity were significantly higher for synTOF than for PETRA (4.00 [4.00; 5.00] vs. 4.00 [3.00; 4.00]; 5.00 [4.00; 5.00] vs. 3.00 [2.00; 4.00]; 4.00 [4.00; 4.00] vs. 4.00 [3.00; 4.00]; 3.00 [3.00; 4.00] vs. 3.00 [2.00; 3.00]). The SNRs of the middle cerebral arteries were the highest for synTOF (synTOF vs. TOF vs. PETRA; 63.67 [43.25; 105.00] vs. 52.42 [32.88; 74.67] vs. 21.05 [12.34; 37.88]). In the multireader evaluation, there was no significant difference in diagnostic optimality or preference between synTOF and TOF (19.00 [18.00; 19.00] vs. 20.00 [18.00; 20.00], P = 0.510; 8.00 [6.00; 11.00] vs. 11.00 [9.00, 14.00], P = 1.000).

DATA CONCLUSION: The cycleGAN-based deep learning model provided synTOF free from background artifact. The synTOF could be a versatile alternative to TOF in patients who have undergone PETRA for evaluating treated aneurysms.

EVIDENCE LEVEL: 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 1.

PMID:35142407 | DOI:10.1002/jmri.28114

J Community Psychol. 2022 Feb 10. doi: 10.1002/jcop.22817. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The aim of our study was to understand more about how college students have been impacted by the pandemic and how their universities can better support them by emphasizing protective factors that build resilience. The protective factors we explored were sense of community, perceived adequacy of resources, and perceived social support.We conducted an online survey, which was administered to 296 (70.4% female and M_age = 20.34) students from a private Northeastern University in the United States. There were gender and class year differences found after analysis. In addition, sense of community and perceived adequacy were found to be statistically significant. There were gender and class year differences found after analysis. In addition, sense of community and perceived adequacy were found to be statistically significant. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of sense of community and access to resources as protective factors in mitigating stress and coronavirus disease 2019-related disruptions to daily life among college students, particularly for female students who report more adverse outcomes.

PMID:35142379 | DOI:10.1002/jcop.22817

J Exp Anal Behav. 2022 Feb 10. doi: 10.1002/jeab.741. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Polysubstance use makes up a majority of drug use, yet relatively few studies investigate the abuse-related effects of drug mixtures. Dose-addition analyses provide a rigorous and quantitative method to determine the nature of the interaction (i.e., supraadditive, additive, or subadditive) between two or more drugs. As briefly reviewed here, studies in rhesus monkeys have applied dose-addition analyses to group level data to characterize the nature of the interaction between the reinforcing effects of stimulants and opioids (e.g., mixtures of cocaine + heroin). Building upon these foundational studies, more recent work has applied dose-addition analyses to better understand the nature of the interaction between caffeine and illicit stimulants such as MDPV and methamphetamine in rats. In addition to utilizing a variety of operant procedures, including drug discrimination, drug self-administration, and drug-primed reinstatement, these studies have incorporated potency and effectiveness ratios as a method for both statistical analysis and visualization of departures from additivity at both the group and individual subject level. As such, dose-addition analyses represent a powerful and underutilized approach to quantify the nature of drug-drug interactions that can be applied to a variety of abuse-related endpoints in order to better understand the behavioral pharmacology of polysubstance use.

PMID:35142382 | DOI:10.1002/jeab.741

J Food Biochem. 2022 Feb 10:e14051. doi: 10.1111/jfbc.14051. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

To investigate and compare the chemical features and antioxidant activities of Auricularia auricula polysaccharides (AAPs), three different AAPs (AAP-M, AAP-D, and AAP-C) were prepared by mannanase, β-dextranase, and cellulase. Their chemical features were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography and infrared spectroscopy. The antioxidant properties were performed both in vitro and in vivo. Results showed that the surface morphology of the A. auricula cell wall treated with three enzymes was slightly different under scanning electron microscopy. The extraction yields of AAP-M, AAP-D, and AAP-C were 18.33% ± 1.93%, 26.42% ± 0.87%, and 17.17% ± 0.08% under optimal conditions, respectively. The monosaccharide composition, molecular weight (AAP-M, AAP-D, and AAP-C were 1.03E+03 kDa, 1.76E+03 kDa, and 1.15E+03 kDa, respectively), and antioxidant activities of the three AAPs were different. AAP-C composed of mannose, glucuronic acid, glucose, and galactose, exhibiting the remarkable ability of scavenging ABTS⁺ , DPPH, and H₂ O₂ (IC₅₀ was 0.065, 0.081, and 0.293 mg/ml, respectively). Moreover, AAP-C could significantly prolonged the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans under oxidative stress (p < .05). The results showed that cellulase could be served as an efficient enzyme to prepare AAPs with higher antioxidant capacity. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: According to the statistics of China Edible Fungi Association in 2019, the output of Auricularia auricula was accounting for 17.54% of the total output of edible fungi. AAPs account for more than 60% of the fruiting bodies and have various biological activities. Cell wall breaking is an important process of extracting AAPs which has always been the bottleneck restricting the production of AAPs. The traditional chemical acid-base method will pollute the environment, and the yield of hot water extraction is low. In contrast, the bioenzyme method widely used because of its mild conditions and environmental friendly. In this paper, three common bioenzymes which have been widely used in food industry were used to extract AAPs, and Box-Behnken design to improve the yield of AAPs. The results show that AAP-C had high yield and strong antioxidant activity. This study could provide a reference for the industrial production of AAPs.

PMID:35142368 | DOI:10.1111/jfbc.14051

Dis Model Mech. 2022 Feb 10:dmm.049218. doi: 10.1242/dmm.049218. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Candida infections constitute a blind spot in global public health as very few new anti-fungal drugs are being developed. Genetic surveys of host susceptibilities to such infections using mammalian models have certain disadvantages in that obtaining results is time-consuming owing to relatively long lifespans and these results have low statistical resolution because sample sizes are usually small. Here we report a targeted genetic screening of 5698 RNAi lines encompassing 4135 Drosophila genes with human homologues, several of which we identify as important for host survival after Candida albicans infection. These include genes in a variety of functional classes encompassing gene expression, intracellular signalling, metabolism, and enzymatic regulation. Analysis of one of the screen hits, the infection-induced α-(1,3)-fucosylase FucTA, showed that N-glycan fucosylation has several targets among proteins involved in host defence supplying multiple avenues of investigation for the mechanistic analysis of host survival to systemic C. albicans infection.

PMID:35142345 | DOI:10.1242/dmm.049218

Eur J Public Health. 2022 Feb 10:ckab223. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckab223. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Teaching has been found to be one of the most stressful occupations. Hence, current interest in reducing stress and enhancing the well-being of teachers is strong. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is documented to be effective in reducing stress and increasing well-being. This study investigated the effectiveness of delivering MBSR to lower secondary school teachers as a part of a teacher-training programme.

METHODS: This study was a nested trial within the parallel cluster-randomized controlled trial, Stress-free Everyday LiFe for Children and Adolescents REsearch (SELFCARE). Schools were recruited from all five geographical regions in Denmark between May 2018 and May 2019. One to three teachers from each school were allowed to participate. At baseline, 110 schools, representing 191 lower secondary school teachers, were cluster-randomized to intervention or a wait-list control group. The intervention group received MBSR during 2019 and the wait-list control group during 2020. Data were collected at baseline and after 3 and 6 months. The primary outcome was measured by Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Data were analyzed using a mixed-effect linear regression model and bootstrapped for cluster effects.

RESULTS: At 3 months, the intervention group statistically significantly reduced their PSS score 1.7 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.04-3.3] points more than did the wait-list control group. At 6 months, the intervention group had statistically significantly reduced their mean PSS score 2.1 (95% CI: 0.5-3.8) points more than the wait-list control group.

CONCLUSION: It is possible to reduce perceived stress among lower secondary school teachers by delivering MBSR as part of a teacher-training programme.

PMID:35142355 | DOI:10.1093/eurpub/ckab223

Am J Epidemiol. 2022 Feb 8:kwab290. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwab290. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In the United States, combined stimulant/opioid overdose mortality has risen dramatically over the last decade. These increases may particularly affect non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic populations. We used death certificate data from the US National Center for Health Statistics (2007-2019) to compare state-level trends in overdose mortality due to opioids in combination with 1) cocaine and 2) methamphetamine and other stimulants (MOS) across racial/ethnic groups (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic Asian American/Pacific Islander). To avoid unstable estimates from small samples, we employed principles of small area estimation and a Bayesian hierarchical model, enabling information-sharing across groups. Black Americans experienced severe and worsening mortality due to opioids in combination with both cocaine and MOS, particularly in eastern states. Cocaine/opioid mortality increased 575% among Black people versus 184% in White people (Black, 0.60 to 4.05 per 100,000; White, 0.49 to 1.39 per 100,000). MOS/opioid mortality rose 16,200% in Black people versus 3,200% in White people (Black, 0.01 to 1.63 per 100,000; White, 0.09 to 2.97 per 100,000). Cocaine/opioid overdose mortality rose sharply among Hispanic and Asian Americans. State-group heterogeneity highlighted the importance of data disaggregation and methods to address small sample sizes. Research to understand the drivers of these trends and expanded efforts to address them are needed, particularly in minoritized groups.

PMID:35142341 | DOI:10.1093/aje/kwab290

Lab Chip. 2022 Feb 10. doi: 10.1039/d1lc01043c. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Imaging flow cytometry (IFC) has become a powerful tool for diverse biomedical applications by virtue of its ability to image single cells in a high-throughput manner. However, there remains a challenge posed by the fundamental trade-off between throughput, sensitivity, and spatial resolution. Here we present deep-learning-enhanced imaging flow cytometry (dIFC) that circumvents this trade-off by implementing an image restoration algorithm on a virtual-freezing fluorescence imaging (VIFFI) flow cytometry platform, enabling higher throughput without sacrificing sensitivity and spatial resolution. A key component of dIFC is a high-resolution (HR) image generator that synthesizes “virtual” HR images from the corresponding low-resolution (LR) images acquired with a low-magnification lens (10×/0.4-NA). For IFC, a low-magnification lens is favorable because of reduced image blur of cells flowing at a higher speed, which allows higher throughput. We trained and developed the HR image generator with an architecture containing two generative adversarial networks (GANs). Furthermore, we developed dIFC as a method by combining the trained generator and IFC. We characterized dIFC using Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cell images, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) images of Jurkat cells, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast) cell images, showing high similarities of dIFC images to images obtained with a high-magnification lens (40×/0.95-NA), at a high flow speed of 2 m s^-1. We lastly employed dIFC to show enhancements in the accuracy of FISH-spot counting and neck-width measurement of budding yeast cells. These results pave the way for statistical analysis of cells with high-dimensional spatial information.

PMID:35142325 | DOI:10.1039/d1lc01043c

Ann Ig. 2022 Feb 8. doi: 10.7416/ai.2022.2502. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

FOREWARD: Nurses’ attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination is a relevant issue, for the protection of the vulnerable people they care for, and the key role they play in promoting health behaviors that encourage trust and adherence to vaccination among population. This study aimed to validate the Italian version of the Vaccination Attitudes Examination (VAX) scale and to describe nurses’ attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was carried out from May to June 2021. Descriptive statistics, Explorative and Confirmatory Factor Analyses have been performed.

METHODS: An online survey was carried out in Italy. The VAX scale referring to the COVID-19 vaccine was used.

FINDINGS: 430 nurses participated in the study, mainly female (73.2%). Mean age was 40.2 years. VAX scale revealed an optimal reliability; Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Analysis supported a 4-factors model. VAX scale mean scores showed low mistrust about vaccine’s benefit (2.03±1.07), concerns about commercial profiteering (2.33±1.39) and preference for natural immunity (2.90±1.37). More worries concerning unexpected future effects were found (4.46±1.36). Gender, taking care of a frail person in family, having children or working in a COVID-19 setting are no significantly related to vaccination attitude. Participants from northern Italy expressed greater confidence in vaccine’s benefits, the younger had significant lower scores about commercial profiteering.

CONCLUSIONS: The Italian version of the VAX scale resulted a reliable tool to assess the nurses’ attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination. An overall positive nurses’ attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccination was highlighted. The concern about unforeseen future effects suggested the need to increase the information on this issue.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results provided a valid and reliable tool to measure vaccination attitudes in the Italian context. This study could strengthen the health policies with educational interventions of healthcare workers through specific vaccination pathways. The healthcare professionals’ vaccination attitudes play the key role also in promoting vaccination uptake in the population.

PMID:35142334 | DOI:10.7416/ai.2022.2502

Clin Nephrol. 2022 Feb 10. doi: 10.5414/CN110706. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: Investigate if kidney function markers predict posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) in children.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a case-control study of high-risk children with confirmed PRES (n = 35) compared to controls (n = 14), we recorded blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine, serum albumin, hemoglobin concentrations, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and documentation of acute kidney injury (AKI). We applied multivariable regression models and determined receiver operating characteristic curves.

RESULTS: Mean age was 9.5 (SD 4.9) years, 51% were female, 29% had chronic kidney disease, 67% had nephrotoxic medication exposure, and 29% had AKI. A 1-mg/dL increase in BUN (adjusted OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.99 – 1.07) and AKI (adjusted OR 3.78, 0.68 – 21.13) were minimally, but not statistically significantly, associated with PRES. BUN = 21.6 mg/dL performed best but had low ability to predict PRES (area under the curve 0.664, 0.498 – 0.831), with 60.0% sensitivity, 71.4% specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 84.0% and 41.7%, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Kidney function may be a relatively more minor risk factor for PRES than previously believed. Further prospective studies with larger sample sizes and better kidney function assessments are warranted to evaluate the role of kidney function in the development of PRES.

PMID:35142281 | DOI:10.5414/CN110706