Identification and evaluation of linear damping models in beam vibrations

Sensitive method, identifying effective damping mechanisms, involves comparing experimentally determined ratio of first to second mode magnification factors related to common point on beam. Cluster size has little effect on frequencies of elements, magnification factor decreases with cluster size, and viscous and stress damping are dominant damping mechanisms

From Convergence to Connectivism: Teaching Journalism 2.0

Media Convergence leads to fundamental changes in the journalistic field. This is a challenge not only for the news industry but also for teaching journalism at universities. Improved skills and competences are needed in multi-modal editorial planning and cross-channel develop-ment of news stories. This paper describes the main drivers of change in the news industry, discusses consequences for journalism and teaching, and offers an innovative didactical ap-proach, which combines an interdisciplinary perspective with the concept of connectivism and cognitive apprenticeship. The consequences of convergence that affect journalism educa-tion are inspected under three sub-topics: the changes in the curricula, the changes in the courses syllabi, and the changes in the technological infrastructures of the academic institu-tions. It is pointed out, that recognizing connections and patterns to develop novel ideas and concepts is the core skill for individuals today. The paper shows, how that approach could be realized in an international 10-day-intensive program

Genome-wide methylome analysis using MethylCap-seq uncovers 4 hypermethylated markers with high sensitivity for both adeno- and squamous-cell cervical carcinoma

Background: Cytology-based screening methods for cervical adenocarcinoma (ADC) and to a lesser extent squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) suffer from low sensitivity. DNA hypermethylation analysis in cervical scrapings may improve detection of SCC, but few methylation markers have been described for ADC. We aimed to identify novel methylation markers for the early detection of both ADC and SCC. Results: Genome-wide methylation profiling for 20 normal cervices, 6 ADC and 6 SCC using MethylCap-seq yielded 53 candidate regions hypermethylated in both ADC and SCC. Verification and independent validation of the 15 most significant regions revealed 5 markers with differential methylation between 17 normals and 13 cancers. Quantitative methylation-specific PCR on cervical cancer scrapings resulted in detection rates ranging between 80% and 92% while between 94% and 99% of control scrapings tested negative. Four markers (SLC6A5, SOX1, SOX14 and TBX20) detected ADC and SCC with similar sensitivity. In scrapings from women referred with an abnormal smear (n = 229), CIN3+ sensitivity was between 36% and 71%, while between 71% and 93% of adenocarcinoma in situ (AdCIS) were detected; and CIN0/1 specificity was between 88% and 98%. Compared to hrHPV, the combination SOX1/SOX14 showed a similar CIN3+ sensitivity (80% vs. 75%, respectively, P>0.2), while specificity improved (42% vs. 84%, respectively, P < 10(-5)). Conclusion: SOX1 and SOX14 are methylation biomarkers applicable for screening of all cervical cancer types

Measurement Properties of Visual Analogue Scale, Numeric Rating Scale, and Pain Severity Subscale of the Brief Pain Inventory in Patients With Low Back Pain:A Systematic Review

Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and Pain Severity subscale of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI-PS)] are the most frequently used instruments to measure pain intensity in low back pain (LBP). However, their measurement properties in this population have not been systematically reviewed. The goal of this study was to provide such systematic evidence synthesis. Six electronic sources (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SportDiscus, Google Scholar) were searched (July 2017). Studies assessing any measurement property in patients with non-specific LBP were included. Two reviewers independently screened articles and assessed risk of bias using the COSMIN checklist. For each measurement property: evidence quality was rated as high, moderate, low, or very low (GRADE approach); results were classified as sufficient, insufficient or inconsistent. Ten studies assessed the VAS, 13 the NRS, four the BPI-PS. The three instruments displayed low or very low quality evidence for content validity. High quality evidence was only available for NRS insufficient measurement error. Moderate evidence was available for: NRS inconsistent responsiveness, BPI-PS sufficient structural validity and internal consistency, and BPI-PS inconsistent construct validity. All VAS measurement properties were underpinned by no, low or very low quality evidence, likewise the other measurement properties of NRS and BPI-PS

Prediction of final infarct volume from native CT perfusion and treatment parameters using deep learning

CT Perfusion (CTP) imaging has gained importance in the diagnosis of acute stroke. Conventional perfusion analysis performs a deconvolution of the measurements and thresholds the perfusion parameters to determine the tissue status. We pursue a data-driven and deconvolution-free approach, where a deep neural network learns to predict the final infarct volume directly from the native CTP images and metadata such as the time parameters and treatment. This would allow clinicians to simulate various treatments and gain insight into predicted tissue status over time. We demonstrate on a multicenter dataset that our approach is able to predict the final infarct and effectively uses the metadata. An ablation study shows that using the native CTP measurements instead of the deconvolved measurements improves the prediction.Comment: Accepted for publication in Medical Image Analysi

A Comparative In Vitro Study of the Effects of Separate and Combined Products of Citrus e fructibus and Cydonia e fructibus on Immunological Parameters of Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis

This paper examined the effects of the combined product, Citrus e fructibus/Cydonia e fructibus (Citrus/Cydonia; Citrus and Cydonia: each 0.01 g/mL), and separate products of Citrus (0.01 g/mL) and Cydonia (0.01 g/mL) on the immunological pathways involved in seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from five healthy and five grass pollen-allergic donors were isolated and analyzed in vitro after polyclonal and allergen-specific stimulation of T cells in the presence of the three extracts. The analyses demonstrated acceptable cell survival with no signs of toxicity. Citrus mainly had a selective effect on reducing allergen-specific chronic inflammatory (TNF-α; Citrus compared to Cydonia and Citrus/Cydonia: −87.4 (P < 0.001) and −68.0 (P < 0.05), resp.) and Th2 pathway activity (IL-5; Citrus compared to Cydonia: −217.8 (P < 0.01); while, both Cydonia and Citrus/Cydonia mainly affected the induction of the allergen-specific Th1 pathway (IFN-γ; Cydonia and Citrus/Cydonia compared to Citrus: 3.8 (P < 0.01) and 3.0 (P < 0.01), resp.). Citrus and Cydonia demonstrated different working mechanisms in the treatment of SAR and the combination product did not demonstrate larger effects than the separate preparations. Further effectiveness and efficacy studies comparing the effects of the products on SAR in vivo are indicated

PROMIS Physical Function short forms display item- and scale-level characteristics at least as good as the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire in patients with chronic low back pain

OBJECTIVE: To compare dimensionality, item-level characteristics, scale-level reliability and construct validity of PROMIS® Physical Function short forms (PROMIS-PF) and 24-item Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ-24) in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Secondary care center for rehabilitation and rheumatology. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with non-specific LBP ≥ 3 months (n = 768). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Dutch versions of the 4-, 6-, 8-, 10- and 20-item PROMIS-PF, and of the RMDQ-24. RESULTS: Mean age was 49 years (±13), 77% female, 54% displayed pain for more than 5 years. PROMIS-PF-6, PROMIS-PF-8 and RMDQ-24 exhibited sufficient unidimensionality (confirmatory factor analysis: CFI >0.950, TLI >0.950 and RMSEA 0.001). Two-parameter item response theory models found two items with low discrimination for RMDQ-24. All other instruments had adequate fit statistics and item parameters. PROMIS-PF-20 displayed the best scale-level reliability. Construct validity was sufficient for all instruments as all hypotheses on expected correlations with other instruments, and differences between relevant subgroups, were met. CONCLUSIONS: PROMIS-PF-6, PROMIS-PF-8 and RMDQ-24 exhibited better unidimensionality, whereas PROMIS-PF-4, PROMIS-PF-6 PROMIS-PF-8 and PROMIS-PF-10 showed superior item-level characteristics. PROMIS-PF-20 was the instrument with the best scale-level reliability. This study warrants assessment of other measurement properties of PROMIS-PF short forms in comparison to disease-specific physical functioning instruments in LBP

Detection of Dural Metastases Before the Onset of Clinical Symptoms by 16 alpha-[F-18]Fluoro-17 beta-Estradiol PET in a Patient With Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer

We offer an illustrative case about estrogen receptor (ER) imaging (also known as 16 alpha-[F-18]fluoro-17 beta-estradiol ([F-18]-FES) PET) and the detection of metastatic lesions in the dural region. We present a case of a woman with ER-positive metastatic breast cancer and high [F-18]-FES uptake in the dural region on PET imaging, without associated clinical symptoms. These lesions were missed on [F-18]-FDG PET because of physiological [F-18]-FDG uptake in the brain. This case highlighted some difficulties in the interpretation of imaging of brain metastases and demonstrated the added value of [F-18]-FES PET imaging. [F-18]-FES PET could be used to prove the presence of ER-positive metastases in the brain

Application of PET Tracers in Molecular Imaging for Breast Cancer

Purpose of Review: Molecular imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) is a powerful tool to visualize breast cancer characteristics. Nonetheless, implementation of PET imaging into cancer care is challenging, and essential steps have been outlined in the international “imaging biomarker roadmap.” In this review, we identify hurdles and provide recommendations for implementation of PET biomarkers in breast cancer care, focusing on the PET tracers 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose ([18F]-FDG), sodium [18F]-fluoride ([18F]-NaF), 16α-[18F]-fluoroestradiol ([18F]-FES), and [89Zr]-trastuzumab. Recent Findings: Technical validity of [18F]-FDG, [18F]-NaF, and [18F]-FES is established and supported by international guidelines. However, support for clinical validity and utility is still pending for these PET tracers in breast cancer, due to variable endpoints and procedures in clinical studies. Summary: Assessment of clinical validity and utility is essential towards implementation; however, these steps are still lacking for PET biomarkers in breast cancer. This could be solved by adding PET biomarkers to randomized trials, development of imaging data warehouses, and harmonization of endpoints and procedures