Metastases or benign adrenal lesions in patients with histopathological verification of lung cancer: Can CT texture analysis distinguish?

INTRODUCTION: Distant metastases are found in the many of patients with lung cancer at time of diagnosis. Several diagnostic tools are available to distinguish between metastatic spread and benign lesions in the adrenal gland. However, all require additional diagnostic steps after the initial CT. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if texture analysis of CT-abnormal adrenal glands on the initial CT correctly differentiates between malignant and benign lesions in patients with confirmed lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study 160 patients with endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsy from the left adrenal gland and a contrast-enhanced CT in portal venous phase were assessed with texture analysis. A region of interest encircling the entire adrenal gland was used and from this dataset the slice with the largest cross section of the lesion was analyzed individually. RESULTS: Several texture parameters showed statistically significantly difference between metastatic and benign lesions but with considerable between-groups overlaps in confidence intervals. Sensitivity and specificity were assessed using ROC-curves, and in univariate binary logistic regression the area under the curve ranged from 36 % (Kurtosis 0.5) to 69 % (Entropy 2.5) compared to 73 % in the best fitting model using multivariate binary logistic regression. CONCLUSION: In lung cancer patients with abnormal adrenal gland at imaging, adrenal gland texture analyses appear not to have any role in discriminating benign from malignant lesions

Male reproductive health and environmental xenoestrogens

EHP is a publication of the U.S. government. Publication of EHP lies in the public domain and is therefore without copyright. Research articles from EHP may be used freely; however, articles from the News section of EHP may contain photographs or figures copyrighted by other commercial organizations and individuals that may not be used without obtaining prior approval from both the EHP editors and the holder of the copyright. Use of any materials published in EHP should be acknowledged (for example, "Reproduced with permission from Environmental Health Perspectives") and a reference provided for the article from which the material was reproduced.Male reproductive health has deteriorated in many countries during the last few decades. In the 1990s, declining semen quality has been reported from Belgium, Denmark, France, and Great Britain. The incidence of testicular cancer has increased during the same time incidences of hypospadias and cryptorchidism also appear to be increasing. Similar reproductive problems occur in many wildlife species. There are marked geographic differences in the prevalence of male reproductive disorders. While the reasons for these differences are currently unknown, both clinical and laboratory research suggest that the adverse changes may be inter-related and have a common origin in fetal life or childhood. Exposure of the male fetus to supranormal levels of estrogens, such as diethlylstilbestrol, can result in the above-mentioned reproductive defects. The growing number of reports demonstrating that common environmental contaminants and natural factors possess estrogenic activity presents the working hypothesis that the adverse trends in male reproductive health may be, at least in part, associated with exposure to estrogenic or other hormonally active (e.g., antiandrogenic) environmental chemicals during fetal and childhood development. An extensive research program is needed to understand the extent of the problem, its underlying etiology, and the development of a strategy for prevention and intervention.Supported by EU Contract BMH4-CT96-0314

Testing an Emerging Paradigm in Migration Ecology Shows Surprising Differences in Efficiency between Flight Modes

To maximize fitness, flying animals should maximize flight speed while minimizing energetic expenditure. Soaring speeds of large-bodied birds are determined by flight routes and tradeoffs between minimizing time and energetic costs. Large raptors migrating in eastern North America predominantly glide between thermals that provide lift or soar along slopes or ridgelines using orographic lift (slope soaring). It is usually assumed that slope soaring is faster than thermal gliding because forward progress is constant compared to interrupted progress when birds pause to regain altitude in thermals. We tested this slope-soaring hypothesis using high-frequency GPS-GSM telemetry devices to track golden eagles during northbound migration. In contrast to expectations, flight speed was slower when slope soaring and eagles also were diverted from their migratory path, incurring possible energetic costs and reducing speed of progress towards a migratory endpoint. When gliding between thermals, eagles stayed on track and fast gliding speeds compensated for lack of progress during thermal soaring. When thermals were not available, eagles minimized migration time, not energy, by choosing energetically expensive slope soaring instead of waiting for thermals to develop. Sites suited to slope soaring include ridges preferred for wind-energy generation, thus avian risk of collision with wind turbines is associated with evolutionary trade-offs required to maximize fitness of time-minimizing migratory raptors

A systematic literature review of the factors that influence the accuracy of consumer wearable health device data

The use of consumer wearable health device (CWHD) for fitness tracing has seen an upward trend worldwide. CWHDs support individuals in taking ownership of their personal well-being and keeping track of their fitness goals. However, there are genuine concerns over the accuracy of the data collected by these devices. In this study, we investigated the factors that influence the accuracy of the data collected by CWHDs for heart rate measurement, physical activity (PA), and sleep monitoring using a systematic literature review. Forty-seven papers were analyzed from five electronic databases based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. All 47 papers that we analyzed were published by authors from developed countries. Using thematic analysis, we classified the factors that influence the accuracy of the data collected by CWHDs into three main groups, namely (i) the tracker and sensor type, (ii) the algorithm used in the device, and (iii) the limitation in the design, energy consumption, and processing capability of the device. The research results point to a dearth of studies that focus on the accuracy of the data collected by CWHDs by researchers from developing countries.http://link.springer.combookseries/558hj2021Informatic

Effect of carbon monoxide on dopamine and glutamate uptake and cGMP levels in rat brain

WOS: 000183316100017PubMed ID: 12700708After the recognition of nitric oxide (NO) as a messenger molecule in the nervous system, carbon monoxide (CO) has received attention with similar properties. The present study aims to elucidate the effects of CO on synaptosomal dopamine (H-3-DA) and glutamate (H-3-Glu) uptake and on cGMP levels; possible interaction between NO and CO systems was also evaluated. Our results provide evidence for the inhibition of DA and Glu uptake by CO in a time-, dose-, and temperature-dependent manner in rat striatum and hippocampus, respectively; the inhibition observed was sexually dimorphic with more pronounced effects in females. Basal cGMP levels were higher in female rats than males in the striatum and exogenous CO increased striatal cGMP levels only in males; no effect of CO was observed in the hippocampus. In vivo nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition increased DA and Glu uptake; however, CO was still effective in inhibiting uptake following NOS inhibiton. Taken together, these findings suggest a role for CO in trans-synaptic regulation through modulation of DA and Glu transporters and of cGMP levels; the effect on cGMP levels is independent of NOS activity and appears to be sexually dimorphic and region specific

Gender differences in the association between childhood physical and sexual abuse, social support and psychosis

Purpose Childhood adversity (variously defined) is a robust risk factor for psychosis, yet the mitigating effects of social support in adulthood have not yet been explored. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between childhood sexual and physical abuse and adult psychosis, and gender differences in levels of perceived social support. Methods A sample of 202 individuals presenting for the first time to mental health services with psychosis and 266 population-based controls from south-east London and Nottingham, UK, was utilised. The Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire was used to elicit retrospective reports of exposure to childhood adversity, and the Significant Others Questionnaire was completed to collect information on the current size of social networks and perceptions of emotional and practical support. Results There was evidence of an interaction between severe physical abuse and levels of support (namely, number of significant others; likelihood ratio test χ2 = 3.90, p = 0.048). When stratified by gender, there were no clear associations between childhood physical or sexual abuse, current social support and odds of psychosis in men. In contrast, for women, the highest odds of psychosis were generally found in those who reported severe abuse and low levels of social support in adulthood. However, tests for interaction by gender did not reach conventional levels of statistical significance. Conclusions These findings highlight the importance of investigating the potential benefits of social support as a buffer against the development of adult psychosis amongst those, particularly women, with a history of early life stress