Nevin Manimala

Sci Rep. 2023 Feb 9;13(1):2372. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-27528-0.

ABSTRACT

Automated preprocessing methods are critically needed to process the large publicly-available EEG databases, but the optimal approach remains unknown because we lack data quality metrics to compare them. Here, we designed a simple yet robust EEG data quality metric assessing the percentage of significant channels between two experimental conditions within a 100 ms post-stimulus time range. Because of volume conduction in EEG, given no noise, most brain-evoked related potentials (ERP) should be visible on every single channel. Using three publicly available collections of EEG data, we showed that, with the exceptions of high-pass filtering and bad channel interpolation, automated data corrections had no effect on or significantly decreased the percentage of significant channels. Referencing and advanced baseline removal methods were significantly detrimental to performance. Rejecting bad data segments or trials could not compensate for the loss in statistical power. Automated Independent Component Analysis rejection of eyes and muscles failed to increase performance reliably. We compared optimized pipelines for preprocessing EEG data maximizing ERP significance using the leading open-source EEG software: EEGLAB, FieldTrip, MNE, and Brainstorm. Only one pipeline performed significantly better than high-pass filtering the data.

PMID:36759667 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-023-27528-0

Bioinspir Biomim. 2023 Feb 9. doi: 10.1088/1748-3190/acbad2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The physiology of living organisms, such as living plants, is complex and particularly difficult to understand on a macroscopic, organism-holistic level. Among the many options to study plant physiology, electrical potential and tissue impedance are arguably simple measurement techniques to gather plant-level information. Despite the many possible uses, our research is exclusively driven by the idea of phytosensing, that is, interpreting living plants’ signals to learn information about surrounding environmental conditions. As ready-to-use plant-level physiological models are not available, we consider the plant as a blackbox and apply statistics and machine learning to automatically interpret measured signals. In simple plant experiments, we expose Zamioculcas zamiifolia and Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) to four different stimuli: wind, heat, red and blue light. We measure electrical potential and tissue impedance signals. Given these signals, we evaluate a large variety of methods from statistical discriminant analysis and from deep learning for the classification problem of determining the correct stimulus to which the plant was exposed. We identify a set of methods that successfully classify stimuli with good accuracy without a clear winner. The statistical approach is competitive, partially depending on data availability for the machine learning approach. Our extensive results show the feasibility of the blackbox approach and can be used in future research to select appropriate classifier techniques for a given use case. In our own future research, we will exploit these methods to drive a phytosensing approach for air pollution monitoring in urban areas.

PMID:36758242 | DOI:10.1088/1748-3190/acbad2

Biomed Phys Eng Express. 2023 Feb 9. doi: 10.1088/2057-1976/acbaa0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this work was to investigate by Monte Carlo method the adjustment of photon beams delivered by the medical LINear ACcelerator (LINAC) Elekta Synergy MLCi2. This study presents an optimization of the Gaussian distribution parameters of the accelerated electrons before the target simulated by two Monte Carlo codes and for three beams. The photon (X-ray) beam is produced by the interaction of accelerated electrons with the LINAC target. The electrons are accelerated by a potential difference created between the anode and the cathode of the gun and directed towards the target. In the Monte Carlo simulation, it is necessary to setup the spectrum parameters of the generated electrons to simulate the X-ray dose distribution. In this study, we modeled the LINAC geometry for photon beams 18MV and 6MV in cases Flattened (FF) and Flattening-Filter-Free (FFF). The Monte Carlo simulations are based on G4Linac_MT and GATE codes. The results of the optimized configurations determined after more than 20 tests for each beam energy show a very good agreement with the experimental measurements for different irradiation fields for the depth (PDD) and lateral (Profile) dose distribution. In all Monte Carlo calculations performed in this study, the statistical uncertainty is less than 2%. The results were also in very good agreement in terms of γ-index analysis, for the 3%/3mm and 2%/2mm criteria.

PMID:36758237 | DOI:10.1088/2057-1976/acbaa0

Am J Public Health. 2023 Feb 9:e1-e4. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2022.307206. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Objectives. To examine the impact of school shootings on indicators of adolescent school safety in the United States. Methods. We linked 2009-2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data on 211 236 adolescents aged 14 to 18 years from 24 school districts with data on high school shootings from the Center for Homeland Defense and Security. We conducted 2-way fixed-effects logistic regression models to assess the impact of shootings on self-report of 3 indicators of school safety: avoiding school because of feeling unsafe, carrying a weapon at school, and being threatened or injured with a weapon at school. Results. High school shootings were associated with adolescents having 20% greater odds of avoiding school because of feeling unsafe (adjusted odd ratio [AOR] = 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11, 1.29) than those who had not. Findings were slightly attenuated in sensitivity analyses that tested exposure to shootings at any school in the district or state. High school shootings were associated with a statistically nonsignificant (P = .08) elevated risk of carrying a weapon at school (AOR = 1.11; 95% CI = 0.99, 1.25). Conclusions. The negative ramifications of school shootings extend far beyond the event itself to adolescents’ concerns about school safety. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print February 9, 2023:e1-e4. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307206).

PMID:36758203 | DOI:10.2105/AJPH.2022.307206

Am J Public Health. 2023 Feb 9:e1-e8. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2022.307197. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Data System. Federal health surveys, like the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), represent important surveillance mechanisms for collecting timely, representative data that can be used to monitor the health and health care of the US population. Data Collection/Processing. Conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), NHIS uses an address-based, complex clustered sample of housing units, yielding data representative of the civilian noninstitutionalized US population. Survey redesigns that reduce survey length and eliminate proxy reporting may reduce respondent burden and increase participation. Such were goals in 2019, when NCHS implemented a redesigned NHIS questionnaire that also focused on topics most relevant and appropriate for surveillance of child and adult health. Data Analysis/Dissemination. Public-use microdata files and selected health estimates and detailed documentation are released online annually. Public Health Implications. Declining response rates may lead to biased estimates and weaken users’ ability to make valid conclusions from the data, hindering public health efforts. The 2019 NHIS questionnaire redesign was associated with improvements in the survey’s response rate, declines in respondent burden, and increases in data quality and survey relevancy. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print February 9, 2023:e1-e8. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307197).

PMID:36758202 | DOI:10.2105/AJPH.2022.307197

Can Urol Assoc J. 2023 Feb 2. doi: 10.5489/cuaj.8085. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is a challenging procedure that urology trainees should be familiar with during residency. Simulators, such as the PERC Mentor, allows the development of this competency in a safer, stress-free environment. There are two primary fluoroscopic methods of gaining percutaneous renal access: the triangulation method and the bull’s eye method. Our goal was to assess which method is easier to teach novices by using the PERC Mentor simulator. A secondary goal is to assess differences in subjective and objective outcomes.

METHODS: Fifteen simulator and procedure-naive medical trainees were randomized into two groups using a crossover, randomized study design. Participants were provided with written, video, in-person demonstrations and hands-on practice for each technique. They then performed each method and were assessed objectively using the PERC Mentor performance data report and subjectively using the PCNL global rating scale (GRS) scoring system. Statistical analysis was performed using Student’s T-test and non-parametric Wilcoxon signed rank test.

RESULTS: There was no statistical difference in the outcomes and complication rates between the two methods. The bull’s eye method of obtaining percutaneous access was associated with a significant decrease in operative time (91 seconds vs. 128 seconds, p=0.03) and fluoroscopy time (87 seconds vs, 123 seconds, p=0.03) compared to the triangulation method.

CONCLUSIONS: Teaching of both techniques was equally well-acquired by students. Both techniques had similar outcomes; however, the bull’s eye method was associated with less operative and fluoroscopy time when compared to the triangulation method among novices.

PMID:36758181 | DOI:10.5489/cuaj.8085

J Am Soc Nephrol. 2023 Feb 9. doi: 10.1681/ASN.0000000000000087. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Clinical practice lacks strategies to treat acute kidney injury (AKI). Interestingly, preconditioning by hypoxia (HP) and caloric restriction (CR) is highly protective in rodent AKI models. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of this process are unknown.

METHODS: CRISPR generated kynureninase (KYNU) knockout mice and comparative transcriptome, proteome, and metabolite analyses of murine kidneys (C57Bl6N wild type and KYNU-deficient) pre- and post-ischemia-reperfusion injury, in the context of CR or ad libitum diet, performed. Additionally, acetyl-lysin enrichment and mass spectrometry were used to assess protein acetylation..

RESULTS: We identified KYNU as a downstream target of CR and show that KYNU strongly contributes to the protective effect of CR. The KYNU-dependent de novo nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) biosynthesis pathway is necessary for CR-associated maintenance of NAD+ levels. This finding is associated with reduced protein acetylation in CR-treated animals, specifically affecting enzymes in energy metabolism. Importantly, the impact of CR on de novo NAD+ biosynthesis pathway metabolites can be recapitulated in humans.

CONCLUSIONS: CR induces the de novo NAD+ synthesis pathway in the context of Ischemia-reperfusion injury and is essential for its full nephroprotective potential. Differential protein acetylation may be the molecular mechanism underlying the relationship of NAD+, CR, and nephroprotection.

PMID:36758124 | DOI:10.1681/ASN.0000000000000087

Percept Mot Skills. 2023 Feb 9:315125231156003. doi: 10.1177/00315125231156003. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The 6-Minute Step Test (6-MST) is a simple, inexpensive field test that is increasingly used to evaluate cardiorespiratory fitness. Whether sufficient performance is revealed by this test and the effect on it of motivational factors such as music is unknown. In this cross-sectional, randomized, and crossover research design, we aimed to analyze 6-MST performance and test outcomes in different music-related auditory conditions of non-musical/non-rhythmic [NM/NR], musical/non-rhythmic [M/NR], and musical/rhythmic [M/R]). We had 38 healthy young adults (M age = 21.21, SD = 1.21 years; 60% male) complete all tests, and we measured their number of steps taken, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, peripheral oxygen saturation, perceived dyspnea, and fatigue on the modified Borg scale. We recorded individually calculated submaximal values according to heart rate reached after three tests. The number of steps increased in the M/R condition relative to other conditions (p = 0.003), and the amount of change in perceived leg fatigue was also higher in the M/R condition (p < 0.017). Despite variable test performances in different auditory conditions, we found no statistically significant difference in cardiovascular fitness and symptoms (p > 0.05). We concluded that the 6-MST is a useful tool for assessing maximum cardiac tolerance, especially if administered while listening to rhythmic music.

PMID:36758117 | DOI:10.1177/00315125231156003

PLoS One. 2023 Feb 9;18(2):e0272596. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272596. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine the concordance and statistical precision in gait velocity in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS), measured with FeetMe® (insoles with pressure and motion sensors) compared with GAITRite® (classic reference system of gait analysis) in the timed 25-Feet Walk test (T25WT).

METHODS: This observational, cross-sectional, prospective, single center study was conducted between September-2018 and April-2019 in pwMS aged 18-55 years, with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) 0-6.5 and relapse free ≥30 days at baseline. Primary endpoint was gait velocity. Secondary endpoints were ambulation time, cadence, and stride length assessment, while the correlation between gait variables and the clinical parameters of MS subjects was assessed as an exploratory endpoint.

RESULTS: A total of 207 MS subjects were enrolled, of whom, 205 were considered in primary analysis. Most subjects were women (66.8%) and had relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) (82.9%), with overall mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 41.5 (8.0) year and EDSS 3.1 (2.0). There was a statistically significant (p<0.0001) and strong agreement (intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) >0.830) in gait velocity, ambulation time and cadence assessment between FeetMe® and GAITRite®.

CONCLUSIONS: Agreement between devices was strong (ICC≥0.800). FeetMe® is the first validated wearable medical device that allows gait monitoring in MS subjects, being potentially able to assess disease activity, progression, and treatment response.

PMID:36758111 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0272596

PLoS Comput Biol. 2023 Feb 9;19(2):e1010886. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010886. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Epidemiological and clinical evidence indicates that humans infected with the 1918 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus and highly pathogenic avian H5N1 influenza viruses often displayed severe lung pathology. High viral load and extensive infiltration of macrophages are the hallmarks of highly pathogenic (HP) influenza viral infections. However, it remains unclear what biological mechanisms primarily determine the observed difference in the kinetics of viral load and macrophages between HP and low pathogenic (LP) viral infections, and how the mechanistic differences are associated with viral pathogenicity. In this study, we develop a mathematical model of viral dynamics that includes the dynamics of different macrophage populations and interferon. We fit the model to in vivo kinetic data of viral load and macrophage level from BALB/c mice infected with an HP or LP strain of H1N1/H5N1 virus using Bayesian inference. Our primary finding is that HP viruses have a higher viral infection rate, a lower interferon production rate and a lower macrophage recruitment rate compared to LP viruses, which are strongly associated with more severe tissue damage (quantified by a higher percentage of epithelial cell loss). We also quantify the relative contribution of macrophages to viral clearance and find that macrophages do not play a dominant role in the direct clearance of free viruses although their role in mediating immune responses such as interferon production is crucial. Our work provides new insight into the mechanisms that convey the observed difference in viral and macrophage kinetics between HP and LP infections and establishes an improved model-fitting framework to enhance the analysis of new data on viral pathogenicity.

PMID:36758109 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010886