Tag: pubmed

J Appl Clin Med Phys. 2021 Aug 25. doi: 10.1002/acm2.13401. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The efficacy of clinical trials and the outcome of patient treatment are dependent on the quality assurance (QA) of radiation therapy (RT) plans. There are two widely utilized approaches that include plan optimization guidance created based on patient-specific anatomy. This study examined these two techniques for dose-volume histogram predictions, RT plan optimizations, and prospective QA processes, namely the knowledge-based planning (KBP) technique and another first principle (FP) technique.

METHODS: This analysis included 60, 44, and 10 RT plans from three Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) multi-institutional trials: RTOG 0631 (Spine SRS), RTOG 1308 (NSCLC), and RTOG 0522 (H&N), respectively. Both approaches were compared in terms of dose prediction and plan optimization. The dose predictions were also compared to the original plan submitted to the trials for the QA procedure.

RESULTS: For the RTOG 0631 (Spine SRS) and RTOG 0522 (H&N) plans, the dose predictions from both techniques have correlation coefficients of >0.9. The RT plans that were re-optimized based on the predictions from both techniques showed similar quality, with no statistically significant differences in target coverage or organ-at-risk sparing. The predictions of mean lung and heart doses from both methods for RTOG1308 patients, on the other hand, have a discrepancy of up to 14 Gy.

CONCLUSIONS: Both methods are valuable tools for optimization guidance of RT plans for Spine SRS and Head and Neck cases, as well as for QA purposes. On the other hand, the findings suggest that KBP may be more feasible in the case of inoperable lung cancer patients who are treated with IMRT plans that have spatially unevenly distributed beam angles.

PMID:34432946 | DOI:10.1002/acm2.13401

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 25;16(8):e0256669. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256669. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

We study geographical epidemic scales and patterns and positivity trends of SARS-CoV-2 pandemics in mass antigen testing in Slovakia in 2020. The observed test positivity was exponentially distributed with a long scale exponential spatial trend, and its characteristic correlation length was approximately 10 km. Spatial scales also play an important role in test positivity reduction between two consecutive testing rounds. While test positivity decreased in all counties, it increased in individual municipalities with low test positivity in the earlier testing round in a way statistically different from a mean-reversion process. Also, non-residents testing influences the mass testing results as test positivity of non-residents was higher than of residents when testing was offered only in municipalities with the highest positivity in previous rounds. Our results provide direct guidance for pandemic geographical data surveillance and epidemic response management.

PMID:34432845 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0256669

J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio). 2021 Aug 25. doi: 10.1111/vec.13099. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact of age on survival in horses with colitis and to elucidate whether a lower type-1/type-2 cytokine ratio or an exaggerated inflammatory state contribute to reduced survival in aged horses.

DESIGN: Part 1: Retrospective cohort analysis. Part 2: Analytic observational study.

ANIMALS: Part 1: One hundred twenty-four adult horses with colitis. Part 2: Twenty-nine adult horses with new diarrhea onset while hospitalized.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Part 1: Patient signalment, select clinicopathological data, diagnoses, treatment, hospitalization length, and invoice were compared between survivors (n = 101) and nonsurvivors (n = 23). Only age and plasma transfusion retained statistical significance in the final multivariate outcome model, with 8.5 times lower odds of survival in transfused horses (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.6-27.2%). Additionally, the likelihood of nonsurvival increased by 11.8% (95% CI, 4-20.2%) for every year the horse aged (P = 0.002). Similarly, geriatric horses (≥20 years) were 15.2 times more likely to die than young-adults (2-12 years, P = 0.03), independent of financial investment, documented comorbidities, and duration of hospitalization. Part 2: Select cytokine analyses were performed on serum collected from hospitalized horses within 1 hour of diarrhea onset (T0) and 6 hours later. At T0, all recorded clinicopathological variables were comparable between geriatric and young-adult horses, suggesting a similar degree of systemic illness. The median concentration of type-2 cytokines interleukin-4 and interleukin-10, and type-1 cytokine interferon-γ did not differ between age groups. Inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α were significantly higher in geriatric compared to young-adult horses at both sampling time points.

CONCLUSIONS: Outcome of colitis was less favorable in aging horses and patients receiving a plasma transfusion. Although an exaggerated inflammatory state, based on increased interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α concentrations, in geriatric horses may contribute to reduced survival, a lower type-1/type-2 cytokines ratio was not identified in our geriatric population.

PMID:34432936 | DOI:10.1111/vec.13099

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 25;16(8):e0256359. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256359. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether there is a change in findings of coronavirus disease 2019 patients in follow up lung ultrasound and to determine whether these findings can predict the development of severe disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective monocentric study COVID-19 patients had standardized lung ultrasound (12 area evaluation) at day 1, 3 and 5. The primary end point was detection of pathologies and their change over time. The secondary end point was relationship between change in sonographic results and clinical outcome. Clinical outcome was assessed on development of severe disease defined as need for intensive care unit.

RESULTS: Data of 30 patients were analyzed, 26 patients with follow-up lung ultrasound. All of them showed lung pathologies with dynamic patterns. 26,7% developed severe disease tending to have an ubiquitous lung involvement in lung ultrasound. In patients with need for intensive care unit a previously developed increase in B-lines, subpleural consolidations and pleural line irregularities was more common. A statistically significant association between change in B-lines as well as change in pleural line irregularities and development of severe disease was observed (p<0,01).

CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that follow up lung ultrasound can be a powerful tool to track the evolution of disease and suggests that lung ultrasound is able to indicate an impending development of severe disease in COVID-19 patients.

PMID:34432835 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0256359

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 25;16(8):e0256293. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256293. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to assess the relationships among motivational profiles, their responsibility levels, the school social climate and resilience, and the differences according to gender and age of students from different secondary schools in Spain. A sample of 768 students (mean age of 13.84 years), 314 boys (46.1%) and 354 girls (53.9%) was used. The measurements taken concerned: personal and social responsibility, basic psychological need satisfaction, motivation, resilience and school social climate. Bivariate correlation, cluster and multivariate analyses were carried out. The cluster analysis was made using the Motivation toward Education Scale with its different variables (intrinsic, identified, introjected, external motivation and amotivation), revealing four profiles: low quality (1, low values in all motivational variables except in amotivation), low quantity (2, low values), high quantity (3, high values), and high quality (4, high values except in amotivation). The contrast in comparisons shows differences in resilience, personal and social responsibility, teacher climate and school climate (p < .001). The group with the highest values in resilience, basic psychological needs, responsibility and school social climate was that with a high quality profile. There were statistical differences in all variables with respect to the low quantity and low quality groups (p < .001), while the high quantity group showed statistical differences only in personal and social responsibility (p < .001). The low quality group had the lowest values among all the variables, with statistical differences with respect to all groups (p < .001). On the other hand, there were more boys than girls associated with high quantity, without differences in their age. In conclusion, high quality motivation profiles (those with high or low amotivation values and high values in autonomous and controlling motivation), also have a higher satisfaction of basic psychological needs. Moreover, these students are more resilient, show more responsibility and enhance the school/teaching social climate, while low quality and /or quantity motivation, influence negatively on these variables.

PMID:34432839 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0256293

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 25;16(8):e0256598. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256598. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Internationally, countries have reacted to the COVID-19 outbreak by introducing key public health non-pharmaceutical interventions to protect vulnerable population groups. In response to COVID-19, the Government of Ethiopia has been taking a series of policy actions beyond public health initiatives alone. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the applicability of basic preventive measures of the pandemic COVID-19 and associated factors among the residents of Guraghe Zone from 18th to 29th September, 2020.

METHODS: Community based cross sectional study was conducted at Guraghe Zone from 18th to 29th September, 2020. Systematic random sampling method was applied among the predetermined 634 samples. Variables which had p-value less than 0.25 in bivariate analysis were considered as candidate for multivariable logistic regression model. P-value <0.05 was used as a cutoff point to determine statistical significance in multiple logistic regressions for the final model.

RESULT: In this study, 17.7% (95% CI: 14.7, 20.5) of the respondents apply the basic preventive measures towards the prevention of the pandemic COVID-19. In addition, being rural resident (AOR: 4.78,; 95%CI: 2.50, 8.90), being studied grade 1-8 (AOR: 3.70; 95%CI: 1.70, 7.90), being a farmer (AOR: 4.10; 95%CI: 1.25, 13.35), currently not married (AOR: 2.20, 95%CI: 1.24, 4.06), having family size 1-3(AOR: 6.50; 95%CI: 3.21, 3.35), have no diagnosed medical illness (AOR: 6.40; 95%CI: 3.85, 10.83) and having poor knowledge (AOR: 3.50; 95%CI: 1.60, 7.40) were factors which are statistically significant in multivariable logistic regression model.

CONCLUSION: Despite the application of preventive measures and vaccine delivery, the applicability of the pandemic COVID-19 preventive measures was too low, which indicate that the Zone is at risk for the infection. Rural residents, those who have lower educational level, farmers, non-marrieds, those who have lower family size, those who have diagnosed medical illnesses and those who have poor knowledge were prone to the infection with the pandemic COVID-19 due to the lower practice of applying the basic preventive measures. In addition, awareness creation should be in practice at all levels of the community especially lower educational classes and rural residents.

PMID:34432844 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0256598

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 25;16(8):e0256604. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256604. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

The influence maximization problem (IMP) as classically formulated is based on the strong assumption that “chosen” nodes always adopt the new product. In this paper we propose a new influence maximization problem, referred to as the “Link-based Influence Maximization Problem” (LIM), which differs from IMP in that the decision variable of the spreader has changed from choosing an optimal seed to selecting an optimal node to influence in order to maximize the spread. Based on our proof that LIM is NP-hard with a monotonic increasing and submodular target function, we propose a greedy algorithm, GLIM, for optimizing LIM and use numerical simulation to explore the performance in terms of spread and computation time in different network types. The results indicate that the performance of LIM varies across network types. We illustrate LIM by applying it in the context of a Dutch national health promotion program for prevention of youth obesity within a network of Dutch schools. GLIM is seen to outperform the other methods in all network types at the cost of a higher computation time. These results suggests that GLIM may be utilized to increase the effectiveness of health promotion programs.

PMID:34432815 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0256604

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 25;16(8):e0256302. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256302. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

This report is prepared to examine the heat transport in stagnation point mixed convective hyperbolic tangent material flow past over a linear heated stretching sheet in the presence of magnetic dipole. Phenomenon of thermal transmission plays a vital role in several industrial manufacturing processes. Heat generation is along with thermal relaxation due to Cattaneo-Christov flux is engaged while modeling the energy equation. In order to improve the thermal performance, inclusion of hybrid nanoparticles is mixed in hyperbolic tangent liquid. The conservation laws are modeled in Cartesian coordinate system and simplified via boundary layer approximation. The modeled partial differential equations (PDEs) system are converted into ordinary differential equations (ODEs) system by engaging the scaling group transformation. The converted system of modeled equations has been tackled via finite element procedure (FEP). The efficiency of used scheme has been presented by establishing the grid independent survey. Moreover, accurateness of results is shown with the help of comparative study. It is worth mentioning that the inclusion of hybrid nanoparticles has significant higher impact on heat conduction as compared with nanoparticle. Moreover, hybrid nanoparticles are more efficient to conduct maximum production of heat energy as compared with the production of heat energy of nanoparticles. Hence, hybrid nanoparticles (MoS2/Ag) are observed more significant to conduct more heat energy rather than nanoparticle (Ag).

PMID:34432830 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0256302

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 25;16(8):e0255668. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255668. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

Using an incentivized experiment with statistical power, this paper explores the role of stakes in charitable giving of lottery prizes, where subjects commit to donate a fraction of the prize before they learn the outcome of the lottery. We study three stake levels: 5€ (n = 177), 100€ (n = 168), and 1,000€ (n = 171). Although the donations increase in absolute terms as the stakes increase, subjects decrease the donated fraction of the pie. However, people still share roughly 20% of 1,000€, an amount as high as the average monthly salary of people at the age of our subjects. The number of people sharing 50% of the pie is remarkably stable across stakes, but donating the the whole pie-the modal behavior in charity-donation experiments-disappears with stakes. Such hyper-altruistic behavior thus seems to be an artifact of the stakes typically employed in economic and psychological experiments. Our findings point out that sharing with others is a prevalent human feature, but stakes are an important determinant of sharing. Policies promoted via prosocial frames (e.g., stressing the effects of mask-wearing or social distancing on others during the Covid-19 pandemic or environmentally-friendly behaviors on future generations) may thus be miscalibrated if they disregard the stakes at play.

PMID:34432813 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0255668

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 25;16(8):e0256436. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256436. eCollection 2021.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Oncology applications of cell-free DNA analysis are often limited by the amount of circulating tumor DNA and the fraction of cell-free DNA derived from tumor cells in a blood sample. This circulating tumor fraction varies widely between individuals and cancer types. Clinical factors that influence tumor fraction have not been completely elucidated.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: Circulating tumor fraction was determined for breast, lung, and colorectal cancer participant samples in the first substudy of the Circulating Cell-free Genome Atlas study (CCGA; NCT02889978; multi-cancer early detection test development) and was related to tumor and patient characteristics. Linear models were created to determine the influence of tumor size combined with mitotic or metabolic activity (as tumor mitotic volume or excessive lesion glycolysis, respectively), histologic type, histologic grade, and lymph node status on tumor fraction. For breast and lung cancer, tumor mitotic volume and excessive lesion glycolysis (primary lesion volume scaled by percentage positive for Ki-67 or PET standardized uptake value minus 1.0, respectively) were the only statistically significant covariates. For colorectal cancer, the surface area of tumors invading beyond the subserosa was the only significant covariate. The models were validated with cases from the second CCGA substudy and show that these clinical correlates of circulating tumor fraction can predict and explain the performance of a multi-cancer early detection test.

CONCLUSIONS: Prognostic clinical variables, including mitotic or metabolic activity and depth of invasion, were identified as correlates of circulating tumor DNA by linear models that relate clinical covariates to tumor fraction. The identified correlates indicate that faster growing tumors have higher tumor fractions. Early cancer detection from assays that analyze cell-free DNA is determined by circulating tumor fraction. Results support that early detection is particularly sensitive for faster growing, aggressive tumors with high mortality, many of which have no available screening today.

PMID:34432811 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0256436