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This work presents a spatial-component (SC) based approach to aid the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) using magnetic resonance images. In this approach, the whole brain image is subdivided in regions or spatial components, and a Bayesian network is used to model the dependencies between affected regions of AD. The structure of relations between affected regions allows to detect neurodegeneration with an estimated performance of 88 % on more than 400 subjects and predict neurodegeneration with 80 % accuracy, supporting the conclusion that modelling the dependencies between components increases the recognition of different patterns of brain degeneration in AD.

Infectious diseases remain an important global health problem. The interaction of a wide range of pathogen bacteria with host cells from many different tissues is frequently mediated by proteoglycans. These compounds are ubiquitous complex molecules which are not only involved in adherence and colonization, but can also participate in other steps of pathogenesis. To overcome the problem of microbial resistance to antibiotics new therapeutic agents could be developed based on the characteristics of the interaction of pathogens with proteoglycans.

To stimulate progress in automating the reconstruction of neural circuits,we organized the first international challenge on 2D segmentationof electron microscopic (EM) images of the brain. Participants submittedboundary maps predicted for a test set of images, and were scoredbased on their agreement with ground truth from human experts. Thewinning team had no prior experience with EM images, and employeda convolutional network. This ``deep learning'' approach has sincebecome accepted as a standard for segmentation of EM images. The challengehas continued to accept submissions, and the best so far has resultedfrom cooperation between two teams. The challenge has probably saturated,as algorithms cannot progress beyond limits set by ambiguities inherentin 2D scoring. Retrospective evaluation of the challenge scoring systemreveals that it was not sufficiently robust to variations in the widthsof neurite borders. We propose a solution to this problem, which shouldbe useful for a future 3D segmentation challenge.

Commercial apple juice inoculated with Escherichia coli was treated with UV-C, heat (55°C) and Dimethyl Dicarbonate - DMDC (25, 50 and 75 mg/L)-, applied separately and in combination, in order to investigate the possibility of synergistic lethal effects. The inactivation levels resulting from each treatment applied individually for a maximum treatment time of 3.58 min were limited, reaching 1.2, 2.9 and 0.06 Log10 reductions for UV, heat and DMDC (75 mg/L), respectively. However, all the investigated combinations resulted in a synergistic lethal effect, reducing the total treatment time and UV dose, with the synergistic lethal effect being higher when larger concentrations of DMDC were added to the apple juice. The addition of 75 mg/L of DMDC prior to the combined UV-C light treatment at 55°C resulted in 5 Log10 reductions after only 1.8 min, reducing the treatment time and UV dose of the combined UV-Heat treatment by 44%.

We analyzed the effects of a 4-month resistance (weight lifting) training program followed by a 2-month detraining period in 7 adult McArdle patients (5 female) on: muscle mass (assessed by DXA), strength, serum creatine kinase (CK) activity and clinical severity. Adherence to training was ≥ 84% in all patients and no major contraindication or side effect was noted during the training or strength assessment sessions. The training program had a significant impact on total and lower extremities’ lean mass (P0.05) was noted for baseline or post strength assessment values of serum CK activity, which remained essentially within the range reported in our laboratory for McArdle patients. All the patients changed to a lower severity class with training, such that none of them were in the highest disease severity class (3) after the intervention and, as such, they did not have fixed muscle weakness after training. Clinical improvements were retained, in all but one patient, after detraining, such that after detraining all patients were classed as class 1 for

The purpose of this study was to determine if the set of genomic regions inferred as accounting for the majority of genetic variation in quantitative traits remain stable over multiple generations of selection. The data set contained phenotypes for five generations of broiler chicken for body weight, breast meat, and leg score. The population consisted of 294,632 animals over 5 generations and also included genotypes of 41,036 SNP for 4,866 animals, after quality control. The SNP effects were calculated by a GWAS type analysis using single step genomic BLUP approach for generations 1 to 3, 2 to 4, 3 to 5, and 1to 5. Variances were calculated for windows of 20 SNP. The top ten windows for each trait that explained the largest fraction of the genetic variance across generations were examined. Across generations, the top 10 windows explained more than 0.5% but less than 1 % of the total variance. Also, the pattern of the windows was not consistent across generations. The windows that explained the greatest variance changed greatly among the combinations of generations, with a few exceptions. In many cases, a window identified as top for one combination, explained less than 0.1% for the other combinations. We conclude that identification of top SNP windows for a population may have little predictive power for genetic selection in the following generations for the traits here evaluated.

In this investigation, the influence of the application of Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) of different intensities (3-7 kV/cm and 0-300 μs) on the carotenoid extraction from tomato peel and pulp in a mixture of hexane:acetone:ethanol was studied with the aim of increasing extraction yield or reducing the percentage of the less green solvents in the extraction medium. According to the cellular disintegration index, the optimum treatment time for the permeabilization of tomato peel and pulp at different electric field strengths was 90 µs. The PEF permeabilization of tomato pulp did not significantly increase the carotenoid extraction. However, a PEF-treatment at 5 kV/cm improved the carotenoid extraction from tomato peel by 39 % as compared with the control in a mixture of hexane:ethanol:acetone (50:25:25). Further increments of electric field from 5 to 7 kV/cm did not increase significantly the extraction of carotenoids. . The presence of acetone in the solvent mixture did not positively affect the carotenoid extraction when the tomato peels were PEF-treated. Response surface methodology was used to determine the potential of PEF for reducing the percentage of hexane in a hexane:ethanol mixture. The application of a PEF-treatment allowed reducing the hexane percentage from 45 to 30 % without affecting the carotenoid extraction yield. The antioxidant capacity of the extracts obtained from tomato peel was correlated with the carotenoid concentration and it was not affected by the PEF-treatment.

The purpose of this study was to compare results obtained from various methodologies for genome-wide association studies, when applied to real data, in terms of number and commonality of regions identified and their genetic variance explained, computational speed, and possible pitfalls in interpretations of results. Methodologies include: two iteratively reweighted single-step genomic BLUP procedures (ssGWAS1 and ssGWAS2), a single-marker model (CGWAS), and BayesB. The ssGWAS methods utilize genomic breeding values (GEBVs) based on combined pedigree, genomic and phenotypic information, while CGWAS and BayesB only utilize phenotypes from genotyped animals or pseudo-phenotypes. In this study, ssGWAS was performed by converting GEBVs to SNP marker effects. Unequal variances for markers were incorporated for calculating weights into a new genomic relationship matrix. SNP weights were refined iteratively. The data was body weight at 6 weeks on 274,776 broiler chickens, of which 4553 were genotyped using a 60k SNP chip. Comparison of genomic regions was based on genetic variances explained by local SNP regions (20 SNPs). After 3 iterations, the noise was greatly reduced of ssGWAS1 and results are similar to that of CGWAS, with 4 out of the top 10 regions in common. In contrast, for BayesB, the plot was dominated by a single region explaining 23.1% of the genetic variance. This same region was found by ssGWAS1 with the same rank, but the amount of genetic variation attributed to the region was only 3%. These finding emphasize the need for caution when comparing and interpreting results from various methods, and highlight that detected associations, and strength of association, strongly depends on methodologies and details of implementations. BayesB appears to overly shrink regions to zero, while overestimating the amount of genetic variation attributed to the remaining SNP effects. The real world is most likely a compromise between methods and remains to be determined.

Purpose: To assess the attitudes of interventional radiologists (IRs) and diagnostic radiologists (DRs) toward exclusive contracts and independently practicing IRs who may request privileges at a hospital where an exclusive contract exists with a different group of radiologists., Materials and Methods: A total of 22,400 survey instruments were distributed to 4,490 IRs and 17,910 DRs in the United States. Statistical evaluation included multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis with calculation of the odds ratios and forest plots., Results: Completed surveys were received from 525 (11.69%) IRs and 401 (2.23%) DRs. Given the low response rate of DRs, data analysis was focused on IRs. Early-career IRs and those in outpatient practices had a more positive attitude toward independent IRs who requested admitting and/or procedural privileges. A supermajority of both IRs and DRs who responded to the survey agreed that the importance of IR to hospital and health system contracts will increase., Conclusions: This survey identified many interrelated and complex variables that significantly affected the attitudes of IRs in various practice settings toward independent IRs requesting hospital admitting and/or procedural privileges. It will benefit independent IRs seeking admitting privileges to better understand some of the factors that impact the potential willingness of the radiology groups and other IRs with exclusive hospital contracts to work toward mutually beneficial practice paradigms, especially as more clinically oriented IRs complete their training in the new, integrated residency programs., (Copyright © 2023 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Bariatric patients are at significant risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) and a subset may benefit from retrievable inferior vena cava filters (rIVCFs). Optimal VTE prophylaxis and a consensus on factors which make bariatric patients high risk have not been established. This study describes our experience with the use of rIVCFs in combination with chemoprophylaxis for high-risk bariatric surgery patients., Methods: A retrospective review was performed of high-risk patients bariatric surgery patients. Patients with a hypercoaguable condition, prior history of VTE, body mass index (BMI) > 55 kg/m(2), and severe immobility were considered high risk. Patients underwent rIVCF placement and standard chemoprophylaxis. A venogram was performed at retrieval., Results: Forty-four patients, age of 48 ± 12 years and BMI of 58.4 ± 9.4 kg/m(2) underwent gastric bypass with rIVCF placement. Follow-up was 204 days. One patient had a preoperative deep venous thrombosis (DVT). All patients received chemoprophylaxis and rIVCF placement. Indications for rIVCF were BMI (68%), prior VTE (30%), and immobility (2%). The operation was performed laparoscopically in all patients, and the mean operative time was 106.1 ± 21.6 min and length of stay was 3.1 ± 1.2 days. Postoperative venous duplex revealed two DVTs (5%). Retrieval was successful in 28 patients. No significant thrombus was found on venogram. Two minor complications of filter placement occurred. One mortality occurred due to MI, and no pulmonary emboli were clinically evident., Conclusions: rIVCFs in our cohort of high-risk bariatric surgery patients was associated with an acceptably low incidence of DVT (5%) and no clinically evident PE. Despite safe removal after long dwell times, previous data suggest that rIVCFs are associated with a higher incidence of VTE. Thus, filters, if placed, should be removed once the risk of VTE has passed. Larger multicenter studies are needed to truly identify long-term safety and efficacy of rIVCFs.

The diagnosis of pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) continues to challenge all physicians involved especially those in such specialties as anesthesia, gastroenterology, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and interventional radiology. When other pelvic pathology is ruled out, an interventional radiologist may be consulted for additional evaluation and treatment of PCS. A heightened awareness and clinical suspicion for the specific symptomatology and associated findings may bring about a more rapid progression toward treatment. For most interventional radiologists who treat PCS patients, magnetic resonance imaging/MR venography (MRI/MRV), diagnostic venogram, and embolotherapy are at the center of diagnosis and treatment of PCS.

Approximately 140,000 to 200,000 patients die as a result of pulmonary embolism in the United States each year. If the diagnosis is made and therapy initiated, the mortality rate drops to 8%. Vena cava filters play a role in the management of patients with thromboembolic disease. Deployment of "optional" filters is changing practice paradigms.