15 research outputs found
Artificial long days in addition to exogenous melatonin and daily contact with bucks stimulate the ovarian and oestrous activity in Mediterranean goat females
Studies on horse population genetics by means of blood markers in some breeds reared in Italy
Studies on horse population genetics by means of blood markers in some breeds reared in Italy
Exogenous melatonin does not improve the freezability of Blanca Andaluza goat semen over exposure to two months of short days
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Cone Beam CT Based Delta-Radiomics of Prostate Cancer Patients and Their Correlation to Quality of Life, Genitourinary and Gastrointestinal Toxicities
For patients receiving external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for prostate cancer (PCa), acute and late radiation-related toxicities can significantly impact short and long-term quality-of-life (QOL). Radiomics, an analytic technique that extracts patterns from medical imaging, has been incorporated into predictive models in diverse cancers. Daily cone beam CT (CBCT) images during EBRT allow for the study of changes in radiomics over time, known as delta-radiomics. We hypothesize that delta-radiomics of the prostate extracted from daily CBCTs could be predictive of genitourinary toxicity (GUT), gastrointestinal toxicity (GIT), and patient QOL.
From an IRB approved database, 31 PCa patients were identified who received EBRT with daily CBCTs. Patients were treated on dose fractionation schemes of 76-91 Gy in 37-40 fractions and some received a 12 Gy boost. The prostate was contoured on all daily CBCTs and 42 radiomics features were extracted for analysis. Radiomic features included intensity-based, gray-level run length (GLRLM), gray-level co-occurrence (GLCM), neighborhood gray-level difference (NGTDM), and gray-level size zone (GLSZM) matrix classes. These radiomic features were averaged per week to decrease data granularity. Patient outcomes analyzed included the total International Prostate Symptom QOL score GUT, GIT, combined GU/GIT grades. Logistic and linear regression models were used to estimate effects of radiomics features on later occurring toxicity and QOL, respectively. Odds ratios (ORs), regression coefficients, 95% confidence intervals, and P-value were estimated. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and R2 were obtained as a measure of models’ goodness-of-fit. The statistical significance threshold was P < 1.5e-04 using an alpha level of 0.05 and applying the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. All tests were two-sided. Parallel data sets were generated using standard (sCBCT) and iterative (iCBCT) CBCT reconstructions. Radiomic feature were preprocessed using Lloyd quantization with Collewet normalization.
Five CBCT delta-radiomic features significantly correlated on week two with QOL occurring after. The results are summarized in Table 1. The R2 values indicate a moderate effect size. GUT and GIT were not found to correlate with the radiomic features. All significant radiomic features corresponded to sCBCT.
Future short-term changes to QOL were detected as early as week two with CBCT delta-radiomics. However, the GUT, GIT, and GU/GIT toxicities were not predicted. These results can serve as preselection criteria of radiomic features to develop more sophisticated machine learning models with larger sample and improve statistical power
Lipolysis and volatile compounds of Galotyri-type cheese made using different procedures
The delay of motherhood: Reasons, determinants, time used to achieve pregnancy, and maternal anxiety level
Current threats faced by Neotropical parrot populations
Berkunsky I, Quillfeldt P, Brightsmith DJ, et al. Current threats faced by Neotropical parrot populations. Biological Conservation. 2017;214:278-287.Psittaciformes (parrots, cockatoos) are among the most endangered birds, with 31% of Neotropical species under
threat. The drivers of this situation appear to be manifold and mainly of anthropogenic origin. However, this
assessment is based on the last extensive consultation about the conservation situation of parrots carried out in
the 1990s. Given the rapid development of anthropogenic threats, updated data are needed to strategize conservation actions. Using a population approach, we addressed this need through a wide-ranging consultation
involving biologists, wildlife managers, government agencies and non-governmental conservation organizations.
We gathered up-to-date information on threats affecting 192 populations of 96 Neotropical parrot species across
21 countries. Moreover, we investigated associations among current threats and population trends. Many populations were affected by multiple threats. Agriculture, Capture for the Pet Trade, Logging, each of them affected > 55% of the populations, suggesting a higher degree of risk than previously thought. In contrast to
previous studies at the species level, our study showed that the threat most closely associated with decreasing
population trends is now Capture for the local Pet Trade. Other threats associated with decreasing populations
include Small-holder Farming, Rural Population Pressure, Nest Destruction by Poachers, Agro-industry Grazing,
Small-holder Grazing, and Capture for the international Pet Trade. Conservation actions have been implemented
on < 20% of populations. Our results highlight the importance of a population-level approach in revealing the
extent of threats to wild populations. It is critical to increase the scope of conservation actions to reduce the
capture of wild parrots for pets