Evolutionary procedure based model to predict ground–level ozone concentrations

AbstractThis study aims to predict the next day hourly average ozone (O3) concentrations using threshold autoregressive (TAR) models in which the threshold value and the threshold variable are defined by genetic algorithms. The procedure is also able to generate models with statistically significant regression parameters. The performance of TAR models was then compared to the one obtained with autoregressive (AR) and artificial neural network (ANN) models. Different TAR models were generated, corresponding to different threshold variables and values. For the training period, ANN model presented better results than TAR and AR models. However, in the test period, AR and one of the TAR models achieved better predictions of O3 concentrations than the ANN model. The distinction between the applied models became greater when they were evaluated in the prediction of the extreme values, for which the TAR model presented the best performance. The performance with respect to extreme values is a useful implication for the protection of public health as this model can provide more reliable early warnings about high O3 concentration episodes

Incidental Diagnosis of Bladder Cancer in a 17-year-old Patient

AbstractBladder cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer among males and the ninth most common cause of cancer death. Bladder cancer can occur at any age. This paper reports the incidental diagnosis of bladder cancer in a 17-year-old female patient. Data on bladder cancer at this age are uncommon in the literature

Effects of grazing pressure on activity and richness of bats in a Portuguese silvo-pastoral system

Background High Nature Value Farmlands (HNVF) harbor species dependent upon habitats maintained by low-intensity farming. Among HNVF, the montado (dehesa in Spain) is a multifunctional system declining due to droughts, pathogens, and increasing grazing pressure. Specifically, grazing pressure leads to compact soils and hinders natural tree regeneration. Regrettably, there is a dearth of information supporting management decisions on the side-effects of high grazing pressure on HNVF-dwelling biodiversity. In particular, little is known about the impact of grazing pressure on bats, a group of species of special conservation concern that may provide key ecosystem services such as biological pest control. Purpose We investigated patterns of activity levels and community composition of insectivorous bats to test the hypothesis that there is a significant relationship between the level of livestock grazing pressure within montado HNVF parcels and patterns of insectivorous bats’ presence and activity. Our specific aims were to (i) assess separately the effects of grazing pressure on bat activity and species composition, (ii) test the predictive significance of key covariates (e.g., insect availability). Methods We conducted this study in 2014 in the Natura 2000 network site “Monfurado”, southern Portugal. This site is specifically acknowledged for its well-preserved montados providing feeding areas for bat species. We quantified acoustically bat flight activity and species richness in farm parcels dominated by cork oak trees. Per parcel, we selected two separate locations (high vs. low grazing pressure) based on landowners’ interviews and grazing pressure indicators, totaling 42 sampling locations. We then used linear mixed-effects modeling to evaluate the effects of grazing pressure and covariates on activity and species richness. Results Bat activity and bat species richness peaked at low grazing pressure locations. Bat activity also increased with tree cover and in locations where livestock grazing signs were old or absent. Conversely, bat activity at low grazing pressure locations decreased with distance to the nearest standing water body. Discussion Our study clearly demonstrated that locations maintained under high grazing pressure within HNVF can have negative consequences for bats, which are acknowledged as good bioindicators of habitat quality. In order to promote better habitat for bats, practitioners should avoid favoring grazing-prone areas (e.g., rotating the location of livestock feeders, drinkers, and gates) across montado HNVF. Broadly, ecosystem services provided by bats for HNVF must be enhanced through sustainability oriented agro-environment schemes under the Economic Community Rural Development Program, including the reduction of stocking density

Comportamento de dois genótipos de milho cultivados em sistema de aléias preestabelecido com diferentes leguminosas arbóreas.

O cultivo em aléias tem sido recomendado como alternativa para a substituição da agricultura de corte e queima, no trópico úmido, devido à grande capacidade de produção de matéria orgânica e de reciclagem de nutrientes, mas algumas dúvidas quanto à sustentabilidade e à competição interespecífica são persistentes. O objetivo no trabalho foi avaliar a viabilidade da cultura do milho em um sistema de cultivo em aléias de leguminosas arbóreas. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos casualisados, com quatro repetições dos tratamentos: aléias de sombreiro (Clitoria fairchildiana), ingá (Inga edulis), guandu (Cajanus cajan) e leucena (Leucaena leucocephala) e uma testemunha sem aléias. Foram avaliadas a remobilização de carbono e nitrogênio, massa de grãos, massa de mil grãos e competição interespecífica entre as cultivares de milho e as leguminosas. A produção de grãos foi maior nas parcelas com C. fairchildiana e L. leucocephala. A produtividade do híbrido de milho foi superior à da variedade em todos os tratamentos. A produtividade e a massa de mil grãos de milho não são negativamente afetadas pela distância da linha da leguminosa arbórea. Esse estudo conclui que o sistema de aléias com leguminosas arbóreas é uma alternativa importante ao manejo sustentável dos agroecossistemas no tropico úmido. Além disso, nessa região a produtividade em grãos na cultura do milho é favorecida no sistema de aléias preeestabelecidas com as leguminosas arbóreas sombreiro, ingá e leucena e pela utilização de genótipos eficientes no aproveitamento do nitrogênio, cujo sincronismo entre a liberação e a absorção do N aplicado por meio das leguminosas deve ser aprimorado

PICaSSO Histologic Remission Index (PHRI) in ulcerative colitis: development of a novel simplified histological score for monitoring mucosal healing and predicting clinical outcomes and its applicability in an artificial intelligence system

[EN] Histological remission is evolving as an important treatment target in UC. We aimed to develop a simple histological index, aligned to endoscopy, correlated with clinical outcomes, and suited to apply to an artificial intelligence (AI) system to evaluate inflammatory activity. Methods Using a set of 614 biopsies from 307 patients with UC enrolled into a prospective multicentre study, we developed the Paddington International virtual ChromoendoScopy ScOre (PICaSSO) Histologic Remission Index (PHRI). Agreement with multiple other histological indices and validation for inter-reader reproducibility were assessed. Finally, to implement PHRI into a computer-aided diagnosis system, we trained and tested a novel deep learning strategy based on a CNN architecture to detect neutrophils, calculate PHRI and identify active from quiescent UC using a subset of 138 biopsies. Results PHRI is strongly correlated with endoscopic scores (Mayo Endoscopic Score and UC Endoscopic Index of Severity and PICaSSO) and with clinical outcomes (hospitalisation, colectomy and initiation or changes in medical therapy due to UC flare-up). A PHRI score of 1 could accurately stratify patients' risk of adverse outcomes (hospitalisation, colectomy and treatment optimisation due to flare-up) within 12 months. Our inter-reader agreement was high (intraclass correlation 0.84). Our preliminary AI algorithm differentiated active from quiescent UC with 78% sensitivity, 91.7% specificity and 86% accuracy. Conclusions PHRI is a simple histological index in UC, and it exhibits the highest correlation with endoscopic activity and clinical outcomes. A PHRI-based AI system was accurate in predicting histological remission.MI and SG are funded by the NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Birmingham.Gui, X.; Alina Bazarova; Del Amor, R.; Vieth, M.; De Hertogh, G.; Villanacci, V.; Zardo, D.... (2022). PICaSSO Histologic Remission Index (PHRI) in ulcerative colitis: development of a novel simplified histological score for monitoring mucosal healing and predicting clinical outcomes and its applicability in an artificial intelligence system. Gut. 71:889-898. https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2021-3263768898987

Dopaminergic Neuronal Imaging in Genetic Parkinson's Disease: Insights into Pathogenesis

Objectives:To compare the dopaminergic neuronal imaging features of different subtypes of genetic Parkinson's Disease.Methods:A retrospective study of genetic Parkinson's diseases cases in which DaTSCAN (123I-FP-CIT) had been performed. Specific non-displaceable binding was calculated for bilateral caudate and putamen for each case. The right:left asymmetry index and striatal asymmetry index was calculated.Results:Scans were available from 37 cases of monogenetic Parkinson's disease (7 glucocerebrosidase (GBA) mutations, 8 alpha-synuclein, 3 LRRK2, 7 PINK1, 12 Parkin). The asymmetry of radioligand uptake for Parkinson's disease with GBA or LRRK2 mutations was greater than that for Parkinson's disease with alpha synuclein, PINK1 or Parkin mutations.Conclusions:The asymmetry of radioligand uptake in Parkinsons disease associated with GBA or LRRK2 mutations suggests that interactions with additional genetic or environmental factors may be associated with dopaminergic neuronal loss

Up-Regulation of Annexin-A1 and Lipoxin A4 in Individuals with Ulcerative Colitis May Promote Mucosal Homeostasis

PubMed ID: 22723974This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited