Nevin Manimala

J Nucl Med. 2021 May 20:jnumed.121.262009. doi: 10.2967/jnumed.121.262009. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To compare breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), thoracal MRI, thoracal ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (¹⁸F-FDG PET)/MRI and axillary sonography for the detection of axillary lymph node metastases in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer. Materials and Methods: This prospective double-center study included patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer between March 2018 and December 2019. Patients underwent thoracal (¹⁸F-FDG PET/)MRI, axillary sonography, and dedicated prone breast MRI. Datasets were evaluated separately regarding nodal status (nodal+ vs. nodal-). Histopathology served as reference standard in all patients. The diagnostic performance of breast MRI, thoracal MRI, thoracal PET/MRI and axillary sonography in detecting nodal positive patients was tested by creating receiver-operating-characteristic curves (ROC) with a calculated area under the curve (AUC). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were calculated for all four modalities. A McNemar test was used to assess differences. Results: 112 female patients (mean age 53.04 ± 12.6 years) were evaluated. Thoracal PET/MRI showed the highest ROC-AUC with a value of 0.892. The AUC for breast MRI, thoracal MRI and sonography were 0.782, 0.814 and 0.834, respectively. Differences between thoracal PET/MRI and axillary sonography, thoracal MRI and breast MRI were statistically significant (PET/MRI vs. axillary sonography, P = 0.01; PET/MRI vs. thoracal MRI, P = 0.02; PET/MRI vs. breast MRI, P = 0.03). PET/MRI showed the highest sensitivity (81.8%, 36/44) (95%-CI: 67.29-91.81%) while axillary sonography had the highest specificity (98.5%, 65/66), 95%-CI: 91.84-99.96%). Conclusion: ¹⁸F-FDG PET/MRI outperforms axillary sonography, breast MRI and thoracal MRI in determining the axillary lymph node status. In a clinical setting, the combination of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/MRI and axillary sonography might be considered to provide even more accuracy in diagnosis.

PMID:34016726 | DOI:10.2967/jnumed.121.262009

Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2021 May 20:ijgc-2021-002505. doi: 10.1136/ijgc-2021-002505. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the oncologic outcomes of patients with early-stage cervical carcinoma and tumor size <2 cm who underwent open or minimally invasive radical hysterectomy.

METHODS: The Pubmed/Medline, Embase, and Web-of-Science databases were queried from inception to January 2021 (PROSPERO CRD 42020207971). Observational studies reporting progression-free survival and/or overall survival for patients who had open or minimally invasive radical hysterectomy for early-stage cervical carcinoma and tumor size <2 cm were selected. Level of statistical heterogeneity was evaluated with the I² statistic. A random-effects model was used to compare progression and overall survival between the two groups and HR with 95% confidence intervals were calculated with the Der Simonian and Laird approach. Risk of bias and quality of included studies was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa scale.

RESULTS: A total of 10 studies that met the inclusion criteria were included encompassing 4935 patients. Of these, 2394 (48.5%) patients had minimally invasive and 2541 (51.5%) patients had open radical hysterectomy; respectively. Patients who underwent minimally invasive hysterectomy had worse progression-free survival than those who had open surgery (HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.20, 2.36, I² 26%). Based on five studies, patients who had minimally invasive (n=1808) hysterectomy had a trend towards worse overall survival than those who had open surgery (n=1853) (HR 1.64, 95% CI 1.00 to 2.68, I² 15%).

CONCLUSION: Based on a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis of studies that control for confounders, for patients with cervical cancer and tumor size <2 cm, minimally invasive radical hysterectomy was associated with worse progression-free survival than laparotomy.

PMID:34016701 | DOI:10.1136/ijgc-2021-002505

Public Health Nurs. 2021 May 20. doi: 10.1111/phn.12927. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Objective of this study is to explore the most prevalent pathologies of the population received in the Spanish coast and to know the nursing prehospital interventions required, as well as the treatments applied and their follow-ups.

DESIGN AND MEASURES: A descriptive and retrospective study.

SAMPLE: A total of 481 immigrants cared for by the Red Cross in the study period.

RESULTS: Dermatological pathologies were more frequent in men (32.1). In women, the most prevalent pathology was headache (19%). According to age, dermatological pathologies prevail in those over 18 years of age (31.9%) and in children, respiratory pathologies (42.9%). Relationships were found statistically significant between gender and type of disease and between specifying or not nursing interventions (p < .001). Age was also related to the type of diagnosis and the type of nursing interventions to be carried out (p < .001).

CONCLUSION: In general, a good state of health was considered in the migrants, concluding that knowing the pathologies or activities to be carried out according to the sociodemographic variables would help improve the quality of the assistance.

PMID:34015861 | DOI:10.1111/phn.12927

Brief Bioinform. 2021 May 20:bbab182. doi: 10.1093/bib/bbab182. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The rapid developments in gene sequencing technologies achieved in the recent decades, along with the expansion of knowledge on the three-dimensional structures of proteins, have enabled the construction of proteome-scale databases of protein models such as the Genome3D and ModBase. Nevertheless, although gene products are usually expressed as individual polypeptide chains, most biological processes are associated with either transient or stable oligomerisation. In the PDB databank, for example, ~40% of the deposited structures contain at least one homo-oligomeric interface. Unfortunately, databases of protein models are generally devoid of multimeric structures. To tackle this particular issue, we have developed ProtCHOIR, a tool that is able to generate homo-oligomeric structures in an automated fashion, providing detailed information for the input protein and output complex. ProtCHOIR requires input of either a sequence or a protomeric structure that is queried against a pre-constructed local database of homo-oligomeric structures, then extensively analyzed using well-established tools such as PSI-Blast, MAFFT, PISA and Molprobity. Finally, MODELLER is employed to achieve the construction of the homo-oligomers. The output complex is thoroughly analyzed taking into account its stereochemical quality, interfacial stabilities, hydrophobicity and conservation profile. All these data are then summarized in a user-friendly HTML report that can be saved or printed as a PDF file. The software is easily parallelizable and also outputs a comma-separated file with summary statistics that can straightforwardly be concatenated as a spreadsheet-like document for large-scale data analyses. As a proof-of-concept, we built oligomeric models for the Mabellini Mycobacterium abscessus structural proteome database. ProtCHOIR can be run as a web-service and the code can be obtained free-of-charge at http://lmdm.biof.ufrj.br/protchoir.

PMID:34015821 | DOI:10.1093/bib/bbab182

Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2021 May 20. doi: 10.5858/arpa.2020-0568-OA. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT.—: Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) of prostate with targeted biopsy has enhanced detection of high-grade prostatic adenocarcinoma (HG PCa). However, utility of amount of HG PCa (Gleason pattern 4/5) in mpMRI-targeted biopsies versus standard 12-core biopsies in predicting adverse outcomes on radical prostatectomy (RP) is unknown.

OBJECTIVE.—: To examine the utility of amount of HG PCa in mpMRI-targeted biopsies versus standard 12-core biopsies in predicting adverse RP outcomes.

DESIGN.—: We performed a retrospective review of prostate biopsies, which had corresponding RP, 1 or more mpMRI-targeted biopsy, and grade group 2 disease or higher. For the 169 cases identified, total millimeters of carcinoma and HG PCa, and longest length HG PCa in a single core were recorded for 12-core biopsies and each set of mpMRI-targeted biopsies. For RP specimens, Gleason grade, extraprostatic extension, seminal vesicle involvement, and lymph node metastasis were recorded. The main outcome studied was prostate-confined disease at RP. A logistic regression model was used to test which pre-RP variables related to this outcome.

RESULTS.—: Univariate analysis showed significant associations with adverse RP outcomes in 5 of 8 quantifiable variables; longest millimeter HG PCa in a single 12-core biopsy, highest grade group in any core, and total millimeter HG in mpMRI-targeted biopsies showed no statistical association (P = .54, P = .13, and P = .55, respectively). In multivariate analysis, total millimeter carcinoma in all cores, highest GrGrp in any core, and longest millimeter HG PCa in a single mpMRI-targeted core provided additional predictive value (P < .001, P = .004, and P = .03, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS.—: Quantitation of HG PCa in mpMRI-targeted biopsies provides additional value over 12-core biopsies alone in predicting nonorgan confined prostate cancer at RP. Linear millimeters of HG PCa in mpMRI-targeted biopsies is a significant parameter associated with higher pathologic stage and could be of value in risk models.

PMID:34015819 | DOI:10.5858/arpa.2020-0568-OA

J Craniofac Surg. 2021 May 19. doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000007727. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The indications for evisceration and enucleation are still evolving and controversial. The study aims to describe trends of enucleation versus evisceration in one center.

METHODS: In period 1998-2019 were 353 patients were included in the study. Statistical results and Chi-square test for pair-wise comparisons for the statistical significance in comparing two subgroups (years periods 1998-2008 and 2009-2019) per category have been evaluated.

RESULTS: The enucleation was performed in 306 patients, and the evisceration was performed in 47 patients. In 221 patients with the tumor exclusively enucleation was indicated. For the operation technique, the authors got a chi-square value of 0.027, and the associated P value is at 0.8695, then the number of evisceration and enucleation in subgroups have not confirmed independency. For the tumor presence, the authors got a chi-square value of 5.4, and the associated P value is at 0.02, then the number of validated/nonvalidated tumor presence in subgroups confirmed independency.

CONCLUSIONS: The performed enucleations had 98% cases uveal melanoma, 1% of cases of another type of malignancy (lymphoma non-Hodgkin type), and 1% cases with benign tumor. Enucleation is also today most frequently due to malignant intraocular tumors, whereas evisceration if most frequently for the phthisis eye after a trauma or a previous intraocular surgery. In our study in 22 years interval also in the second period, there was an increased trend of enucleation due to intraocular malignancy. It can have many reasons, especially, that patients are sent to oncology centers late in the advanced stage of tumor.

PMID:34015800 | DOI:10.1097/SCS.0000000000007727

Bioinspir Biomim. 2021 May 20. doi: 10.1088/1748-3190/ac03a8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Fish median fins are extremely diverse, but their function is not yet fully understood. Various biological studies on fish and engineering studies on flapping foils have revealed that there are hydrodynamic interactions between fins arranged in tandem and that these interactions can lead to improved performance by the posterior fin. This performance improvement is often driven by the augmentation of a leading-edge vortex on the trailing fin. Past experimental studies have necessarily simplified fish anatomy to enable more detailed engineering analyses, but such simplifications then do not capture the complexities of an undulating fish-like body with fins attached. We present a flexible fish-like robotic model that better represents the kinematics of swimming fishes while still being simple enough to examine a range of morphologies and motion patterns. We then create statistical models that predict the individual effects of each kinematic and morphological variable. Our results demonstrate that having fins arranged in tandem on an undulating body can lead to more steady production of thrust forces determined by the distance between the fins and their relative motion. We find that these same variables also affect swimming speed. Specifically, when swimming at high frequencies, swimming speed decreases by 12-26% due to out of phase fin motion. Flow visualization reveals that variation within this range is caused in part by fin-fin flow interactions that affect leading edge vortices. Our results indicate that undulatory swimmers should optimize both the positioning and relative motion of their median fins in order to reduce force oscillations and improve overall performance while swimming.

PMID:34015781 | DOI:10.1088/1748-3190/ac03a8

Nanotechnology. 2021 May 20. doi: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac037f. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Demand for freshwater increases day by day as impurity increases due to the industrial, domestic and municipal waste in the water. Inappropriate disposal of coal fly ash (CFA) is not eco-friendly, therefore the need is to convert it into some beneficial material like zeolite. Zeolite-based composites with metal oxides show high cation interchange capacity, fast adsorption, and high efficiency for the removal of wastewater pollutants. In this research work, metal oxide along with zeolite (derived for CFA) was prepared. Metal oxide (WO3) and magnetite (Fe3O4) based zeolite composite was used adsorption enhanced photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B dye. Ternary composite (Zeolite/WO3/Fe3O4) was characterized using a Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The bandgap energy of composite was estimated using Tauc plot method from the data obtained after UV-visible spectroscopy. The behavior of composite under acidic and basic conditions was analyzed using pHpzc of the composite. Influencing parameters like pH, dye concentration, contact time, and catalyst dosage was optimized under ultraviolet irradiations (254 nm). The results show that maximum degradation was achieved with Zeolite/WO3/Fe3O4 composite under optimized conditions of pH=7, catalyst dosage =10 mg/100 mL, RhB concentration 10ppm, and time 60min. The first-order kinetic model was best fitted to the experimental data. RSM was used as a statistical tool to analyze the data.

PMID:34015775 | DOI:10.1088/1361-6528/ac037f

Rep Prog Phys. 2021 May 20. doi: 10.1088/1361-6633/ac03aa. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Quasiparticles with fractional charge and fractional statistics are key features of the fractional quantum Hall effect. We discuss in detail the definitions of fractional charge and statistics and the ways in which these properties may be observed. In addition to theoretical foundations, we review the present status of the experiments in the area. We also discuss the notions of non-Abelian statistics and attempts to find experimental evidence for the existence of non-Abelian quasiparticles in certain quantum Hall systems.

PMID:34015771 | DOI:10.1088/1361-6633/ac03aa

Phys Med Biol. 2021 May 20. doi: 10.1088/1361-6560/ac0391. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Modern CT iterative reconstruction algorithms are transitioning from a statistical-based to model-based approach. However, increasing complexity does not ensure improved image quality for all indications, and thorough characterization of new algorithms is important to understand their potential clinical impacts. This study performs both quantitative and qualitative analyses of image quality to compare Canon’s statistical-based Adaptive Iterative Dose Reduction 3D (AIDR 3D) algorithm to its model-based algorithm, Forward Projected Model-based Iterative Reconstruction Solution (FIRST). A phantom was used to measure the task-specific modulation transfer function (MTF_Task), the noise power spectrum (NPS), and the low-contrast object-specific CNR (CNR_LO) for each algorithm using three dose levels and the convolution algorithm (kernel) appropriate for abdomen, lung, and brain imaging. Additionally, MTF_Taskwas measured at four contrast levels, and CNR_LOwas measured for two object sizes. Lastly, three radiologists participated in a preference study to compare clinical image quality for three study types: non-contrast abdomen, pulmonary embolism, and lung screening. Nine questions related to the appearance of anatomical features or image quality characteristics were scored for twenty exams of each type. The behavior of both algorithms depended strongly on the kernel selected. Phantom measurements suggest that FIRST should be beneficial over AIDR 3D for abdomen imaging, but do not suggest a clear overall benefit to FIRST for lung or brain imaging; metrics suggest performance may be equivalent to or slightly favor AIDR 3D, depending on the size of the object being imaged and whether spatial resolution or low-contrast resolution is more important for the task at hand. Overall, radiologists strongly preferred AIDR 3D for lung screening, slightly preferred AIDR 3D for non-contrast abdomen, and had no preference for pulmonary embolism. FIRST was superior for the reduction of metal artifacts. Radiologist preference may be influenced by changes to noise texture.

PMID:34015770 | DOI:10.1088/1361-6560/ac0391