Tag: pubmed

Environ Monit Assess. 2025 Jan 10;197(2):155. doi: 10.1007/s10661-024-13431-2.

ABSTRACT

Recent advancements in satellite technology have greatly expanded data acquisition capabilities, making satellite imagery more accessible. Despite these strides, unlocking the full potential of satellite images necessitates efficient interpretation. Image classification, a widely adopted for extracting valuable information, has seen a surge in the application of deep learning methodologies due to their effectiveness. However, the success of deep learning is contingent upon the quality of the training data. In our study, we compared the efficiency of pixel-based and object-based classifications in Sentinel-2 satellite imagery using the Deeplabv3 deep learning method. The image sharpness was enhanced through a high-pass filter, aiding in data visualization and preparation. Deeplabv3 underwent training, leading to the development of classifiers following the extraction of training samples from the enhanced image. The majority zonal statistic method was implemented to assign class values to objects in the workflow. The accuracy of pixel-based and object-based classification was 83.1% and 83.5%, respectively, with corresponding kappa values of 0.786 and 0.791. These accuracies highlighted the efficient performance of the object-based method when integrated with a deep learning classifier. These results can serve as a valuable reference for future studies, aiding in the improvement of accuracy while potentially saving time and effort. By evaluating this nuanced impact pixel and object-based classification as well as on class-specific accuracy, this research contributes to the ongoing refinement of satellite image interpretation techniques in environmental applications.

PMID:39792312 | DOI:10.1007/s10661-024-13431-2

Sleep. 2025 Jan 10:zsaf007. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsaf007. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Exploding head syndrome (EHS) is a parasomnia characterized by the perception of loud noises, or explosions inside the head during the sleep-to-wake transition. The prevalence of EHS remains unclear. This survey aimed to elucidate the prevalence of and factors associated with EHS in this cohort.

METHODS: As part of the Night in Japan Home Sleep Monitoring Study (NinjaSleep study), a cross-sectional survey was conducted among government employees in Koka City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan, in 2022. Participants were queried regarding their experiences with EHS as defined in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, 3rd Edition, including sudden loud noises or sensations of explosions, subsequent abrupt awakenings and feelings of fright. Various standardized instruments were employed to evaluate depression, anxiety, insomnia, quality of life, and fatigue.

RESULTS: Of the 2081 employees invited to participate, 1878 completed the survey. After excluding respondents with epilepsy and incomplete responses, 1843 participants were deemed eligible for analysis. Among them, 46 (2.49%) reported experiencing sudden noises or sensations of explosions, with 23 (1.25%) meeting the diagnostic criteria for EHS. The EHS was significantly related to the scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Athens Insomnia Scale, and Chalder Fatigue Scale, even after adjusting for age, sex, BMI and categorized mean sleep duration.

CONCLUSION: This study elucidates the prevalence of EHS among the Japanese population and underscores its potential association with insomnia symptoms and various psychological factors.

PMID:39792308 | DOI:10.1093/sleep/zsaf007

J Robot Surg. 2025 Jan 10;19(1):49. doi: 10.1007/s11701-024-02202-3.

ABSTRACT

This study applied cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis to evaluate trends in operative time and blood loss, It aims to identify key milestones in mastering extraperitoneal single-site robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (ss-RARP). A cohort of 100 patients who underwent ss-RARP, performed by a single surgeon at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University between March 2021 and June 2023, was retrospectively analyzed. To evaluate the learning curve, the CUSUM (Cumulative Sum Control Chart) technique was applied, revealing the progression and variability over time. A cubic polynomial model was utilised to fit the non-linear data trends accurately. Key perioperative outcomes, such as operative duration and estimated blood loss, were assessed and compared between distinct learning stages to identify improvements and transitions during the surgeon’s proficiency development. A total of 100 patients were included, with a mean age of 71.44 ± 5.46 years. The median operative time was 119.53 min (94, 144), and the best-fit equation for the CUSUM learning curve of operative time was y = 387.0373 – 3.4334x – 0.2982x² + 0.003x³ (R² = 0.898), reaching its peak at the 11th case. The median blood loss was 49.9 ml (20, 50), and the best-fit equation for the CUSUM learning curve of blood loss was y = 444.9362 + 23.6787x – 0.7719x² + 0.0049x³ (R² = 0.957), reaching its peak at the 27th case. The learning curve was divided into a learning phase (1-27 cases) and a proficient phase (28 cases onward). Intraoperative blood loss significantly decreased from 75.93 ± 79.19 mL to 40.27 ± 35.27 mL in the proficient phase (P < 0.05), while operative time remained similar between phases (P > 0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in pelvic drainage tube placement time, drainage volume, positive surgical margin rate, hospital stay duration, or postoperative pain scores (P > 0.05). The findings suggest that proficiency in ss-RARP is typically achieved after approximately 27 cases, indicating a manageable and safe learning curve. These insights can inform the design of surgical training programmes, optimising early learning and improving clinical outcomes for novice surgeons.

PMID:39792294 | DOI:10.1007/s11701-024-02202-3

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Jan 14;122(2):e2411074122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2411074122. Epub 2025 Jan 10.

ABSTRACT

Chemotaxis enables marine bacteria to increase encounters with phytoplankton cells by reducing their search times, provided that bacteria detect noisy chemical gradients around phytoplankton. Gradient detection depends on bacterial phenotypes and phytoplankton size: large phytoplankton produce spatially extended but shallow gradients, whereas small phytoplankton produce steeper but spatially more confined gradients. To date, it has remained unclear how phytoplankton size and bacterial swimming speed affect bacteria’s gradient detection ability and search times for phytoplankton. Here, we compute an upper bound on the increase in bacterial encounter rate with phytoplankton due to chemotaxis over random motility alone. We find that chemotaxis can substantially decrease search times for small phytoplankton, but this advantage is highly sensitive to variations in bacterial phenotypes or phytoplankton leakage rates. By contrast, chemotaxis toward large phytoplankton cells reduces the search time more modestly, but this benefit is more robust to variations in search or environmental parameters. Applying our findings to marine phytoplankton communities, we find that, in productive waters, chemotaxis toward phytoplankton smaller than 2 μm provides little to no benefit, but can decrease average search times for large phytoplankton (∼20 μm) from 2 wk to 2 d, an advantage that is robust to variations and favors bacteria with higher swimming speeds. By contrast, in oligotrophic waters, chemotaxis can reduce search times for picophytoplankton (∼1 μm) up to 10-fold, from a week to half a day, but only for bacteria with low swimming speeds and long sensory timescales. This asymmetry may promote the coexistence of diverse search phenotypes in marine bacterial populations.

PMID:39792290 | DOI:10.1073/pnas.2411074122

Mycopathologia. 2025 Jan 10;190(1):14. doi: 10.1007/s11046-024-00922-6.

ABSTRACT

Epidemiological studies combining taxonomic and clinical data have been limited globally, particularly Guiyang, the most under-developed economic provincial capital city in southwestern China. A retrospective analysis was performed of dermatophyte epidemiology involving all culture-positive cases received between May 2017 and May 2023 at the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted on 391 dermatophyte isolates collected from patients using the rDNA internal transcribed spacer sequences. Clinical relevance information was analyzed statistically using T-test, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and Chi-square test. Eight species were recognized, and their identity was confirmed on the basis of phylogenetics. Trichophyton rubrum (n = 308, 78.77%) ranked first, followed by T. mentagrophytes (n = 39, 9.97%) and Microsporum canis (n = 32, 8.18%). Tinea unguium (48.56%) was the most common type of dermatophytosis in this study, rates of detection being impacted by the host population’s attention for dermatophyte infections. The hypothesized patterns of evolution in the M. canis series, T. mentagrophytes series and T. rubrum series, i.e. from zoophilic to a preponderantly anthropophilic nature, was reflected in clinical parameters such as host age, occupational background, infection pattern, degree of skin involvement and site preference. To the best of our knowledge, we provide the first detailed analysis of epidemiological characteristics and pathogenic patterns of dermatophytosis in Guiyang.

PMID:39792278 | DOI:10.1007/s11046-024-00922-6

Arch Dermatol Res. 2025 Jan 10;317(1):222. doi: 10.1007/s00403-024-03728-0.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, pruritic, and inflammatory dermatosis seen in individuals with an atopic predisposition. This study aimed to examine the immunoreactivity of spexin and TRPM2 in skin samples from patients with AD and MF lesions using immunohistochemical methods.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study utilized a total of 60 skin samples, comprising 20 from AD patients, 20 from MF patients, and 20 from control subjects. Skin samples from patients diagnosed with other dermatological diseases, malignancies, and diabetes mellitus were excluded from the study. During staining, the prevalence (0.1: <25%, 0.4: 26-50%, 0.6: 51-75%, 0.9: 76-100%) and intensity (0: none, + 0.5: very low, + 1: low, + 2: moderate, + 3: intense) of immunoreactivity were used as criteria to establish a histo-score. Calculations employed the formula histo-score = prevalence x intensity.

RESULTS: Statistically significant higher spexin histoscores were observed in both the AD and MF patient groups compared to the control group (1.30 ± 0.46, 1.04 ± 0.29, and 0.20 ± 0.07, respectively; p = 0.000). Similarly, TRPM2 histoscores were significantly higher in the AD and MF patient groups compared to the control group (1.12 ± 0.28, 1.02 ± 0.30, and 0.20 ± 0.07, respectively; p = 0.000).

CONCLUSION: It is hypothesized that the increase in the neuropeptide spexin in both AD and MF is triggered by inflammation and contributes to itching mechanisms via galanin receptors. TRPM2, an ion channel, is speculated to be a marker of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in chronic inflammatory dermatoses like AD, but it may not serve as a potential biomarker for distinguishing chronic inflammatory dermatoses from MF.

PMID:39792277 | DOI:10.1007/s00403-024-03728-0

Neurosurg Rev. 2025 Jan 10;48(1):39. doi: 10.1007/s10143-025-03177-x.

ABSTRACT

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and radiotherapy (SRT) have gained prominence as both adjuvant and primary treatment options for patients with skull base tumors that are either inoperable or present as residual or recurrent lesions post-surgery. The object of the current study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of robotic-assisted SRS and SRT across various skull base pathologies. The study was conducted under PRISMA guidelines and involved a comprehensive evaluation of databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web-of-Science, and the Cochrane Library. The data collection period was extended up to 30 September. Statistical analyses were executed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. Furthermore, Cochran’s Q test assessed statistical heterogeneity within the findings. From an initial pool of 1,792 articles, 69 studies were included in the systematic review, with 60 qualifying for meta-analysis, encompassing 3,046 participants. Meta-analysis revealed tumor control rates were significantly enhanced with the use of CyberKnife (95% CI: 0.901-0.928, p < 0.001) and robotic Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) (95% CI: 0.897-0.959, p < 0.001). Meningiomas and schwannomas exhibited higher treatment responsiveness (ES: 0.960 and 0.949, respectively), whereas chordomas displayed lower responsiveness (ES: 0.743). The overall major adverse event rate was between 5.6% and 8.3% (95% CI: 0.056-0.083, p < 0.001). Adverse events exhibited a higher incidence in patients with adenomas (95% CI: 0.122-0.217, p < 0.001), while they were least prevalent in those with schwannomas (95% CI: 0.019-0.041, p < 0.001). Robotic SRS and SRT, employing both gamma-knife and cyber-knife, have demonstrated promising outcomes characterized by high efficacy and safety in managing various skull base tumors.

PMID:39792270 | DOI:10.1007/s10143-025-03177-x

Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2025 Jan 10;29(1):29. doi: 10.1007/s10006-024-01322-2.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study aimed to clarify the applicability of smartphone-based three-dimensional (3D) surface imaging for clinical use in oral and maxillofacial surgery, comparing two smartphone-based approaches to the gold standard.

METHODS: Facial surface models (SMs) were generated for 30 volunteers (15 men, 15 women) using the Vectra M5 (Canfield Scientific, USA), the TrueDepth camera of the iPhone 14 Pro (Apple Inc., USA), and the iPhone 14 Pro with photogrammetry. Smartphone-based SMs were superimposed onto Vectra-based SMs. Linear measurements and volumetric evaluations were performed to evaluate surface-to-surface deviation. To assess inter-observer reliability, all measurements were performed independently by a second observer. Statistical analyses included Bland-Altman analyses, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for paired samples, and Intraclass correlation coefficients.

RESULTS: Photogrammetry-based SMs exhibited an overall landmark-to-landmark deviation of M = 0.8 mm (SD = ± 0.58 mm, n = 450), while TrueDepth-based SMs displayed a deviation of M = 1.1 mm (SD = ± 0.72 mm, n = 450). The mean volumetric difference for photogrammetry-based SMs was M = 1.8 cc (SD = ± 2.12 cc, n = 90), and M = 3.1 cc (SD = ± 2.64 cc, n = 90) for TrueDepth-based SMs. When comparing the two approaches, most landmark-to-landmark measurements demonstrated 95% Bland-Altman limits of agreement (LoA) of ≤ 2 mm. Volumetric measurements revealed LoA > 2 cc. Photogrammetry-based measurements demonstrated higher inter-observer reliability for overall landmark-to-landmark deviation.

CONCLUSION: Both approaches for smartphone-based 3D surface imaging exhibit potential in capturing the face. Photogrammetry-based SMs demonstrated superior alignment and volumetric accuracy with Vectra-based SMs than TrueDepth-based SMs.

PMID:39792225 | DOI:10.1007/s10006-024-01322-2

J Appl Genet. 2025 Jan 10. doi: 10.1007/s13353-024-00930-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) and other tic disorders (TDs) have a substantial genetic component with their heritability estimated at between 60 and 80%. Here we propose an oligogenic risk score of TDs using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data from a group of Polish GTS patients, their families, and control samples (n = 278). In this study, we first reviewed the literature to obtain a preliminary list of 84 GTS/TD candidate genes. From this list, 10 final risk score genes were selected based on single-gene burden tests (SKAT p < 0.05) between unrelated GTS cases (n = 37) and synthetic control samples based on a database of local allele frequencies. These 10 genes were CHADL, DRD2, MAOA, PCDH10, HTR2A, SLITRK5, SORCS3, KCNQ5, CDH9, and CHD8. Variants in and in the vicinity (± 20 kbp) of the ten risk genes (n = 7654) with a median minor allele frequency in the non-Finnish European population of 0.02 were integrated into an additive classifier. This risk score was then applied to healthy and GTS-affected individuals from 23 families and 100 unrelated healthy samples from the Polish population (AUC-ROC = 0.62, p = 0.02). Application of the algorithm to a group of patients with other tic disorders revealed a continuous increase of the oligogenic score with healthy individuals with the lowest mean, then patients with other tic disorders, then GTS patients, and finally with severe GTS cases with the highest oligogenic score. We have further compared our WGS results with the summary statistics of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium genome-wide association study (PGC GWAS) of TDs and found no signal overlap except for the CHADL gene locus. Polygenic risk scores from common variants of GTS GWAS show no difference between patient and control groups, except for the comparison between patients with non-GTS TDs and patients with severe GTS. Overall, we leveraged WGS data to construct a GTS/TD risk score based on variants that may cooperatively contribute to the aetiology of these disorders. This study provides evidence that typical and severe adult GTS as well as other tic disorders may exist on a single spectrum in terms of their genetic background.

PMID:39792217 | DOI:10.1007/s13353-024-00930-8

JMIR Form Res. 2025 Jan 9;9:e64137. doi: 10.2196/64137.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: While the significance of care navigation in facilitating access to health care within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other (LGBTQ+) communities has been acknowledged, there is limited research examining how care navigation influences an individual’s ability to understand and access the care they need in real-world settings. By analyzing private sector data, we can bridge the gap between theoretical research findings and practical applications, ultimately informing both business strategies and public policy with evidence grounded in real-world efficacy.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of specialized virtual care navigation services on LGBTQ+ individuals’ ability to comprehend and access necessary care within a national cohort of commercially insured members.

METHODS: This case study is based on the experience of commercially insured members, aged 18 or older, who used the LGBTQ+ Health Care Navigation (LGBTQ+ Navigation) service by Included Health between January 26 and July 31, 2023. Care coordinators assisted members by connecting them with vetted identity-affirming in-network providers, helping them navigate and understand their LGBTQ+ health benefits, and providing education and advocacy for clinical and nonclinical needs. We examined the impact of navigation on 5 member-reported outcomes. In addition to reporting the proportion who agreed or strongly agreed, we calculated an impact score that averaged assigned numerical values to all 5 question responses (1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree) for each respondent. We used ANOVA with Tukey post hoc tests and t tests to explore the relationships between the impact score and member characteristics, including optional self-reported demographics.

RESULTS: Out of 4703 LGBTQ+ Navigation cases, 7.53% (n=354) had member-reported outcomes. A large majority of LGBTQ+ members agreed or strongly agreed that care navigation resulted in less stress (315/354, 89%), less care avoidance (305/354, 86.2%), higher confidence in finding an identity-affirming provider (327/354, 92.4%), improved ability to comprehend health care information (312/354, 88.1%), and improved ability to engage with providers (308/354, 87%). The average impact score was 4.44 (SD 0.69), with statistically significant differences by gender identity (P=.003), race (P=.01), ethnicity (P=.008), and pronouns (P=.02). The scores were highest for members with multiple gender identities (mean 4.56, SD 0.37), and members who did not provide their race, ethnicity, or their pronouns (mean 4.55, SD 0.64). Impact scores were lowest for transgender members (mean 4.11, SD 0.95).

CONCLUSIONS: The LGBTQ+ Navigation service, by enhancing members’ comprehension and use of necessary care, demonstrates potential public health utility and value. Continuous evaluation of navigation services can serve as a supplementary tool for employers seeking to promote health equity and improve belonging among employees. This is particularly important as discrimination and stigma against LGBTQ+ communities persist in the United States. Therefore, scalable and system-level changes that use navigation services are essential to reach a larger proportion of the LGBTQ+ population.

PMID:39791359 | DOI:10.2196/64137