Proportion of various types of thyroid disorders among newborns with congenital hypothyroidism and normally located gland: A regional cohort study

Objective To determine the proportion of the various types of thyroid disorders among newborns detected by the neonatal TSH screening programme, with a normally located thyroid gland.Patients and methods Of the 882 575 infants screened in our centre between 1981 and 2002, 85 infants with a normally located gland had persistent elevation of serum TSH values (an incidence of 1/10 383). Six of these 85 patients were lost to follow-up and were therefore excluded from the study. During follow-up, patients were classified as having permanent or transient hypothyroidism.Results Among the 79 patients included in the study, transient (n = 30, 38% of cases) and permanent (n = 49, 62% of cases) congenital hypothyroidism (CH) was demonstrated during the follow-up at the age of 0.7 +/- 0.6 years and 2.6 +/- 1.8 years (P < 0.0001), respectively. The proportion of premature births was significantly higher in the group with transient CH (57%) than in the group with permanent CH (2%) (P < 0.0001). A history of iatrogenic iodine overload was identified during the neonatal period in 69% of transient cases. Among permanent CH cases (n = 49), patients were classified as having a goitre (n = 27, 55% of cases), a normal sized and shaped thyroid gland (n = 14, 29% of cases) or a hypoplastic gland (n = 8, 16% of cases). The latter patients demonstrated global thyroid hypoplasia (n = 3), a right hemithyroid (n = 2), hypoplasia of the left lobe (n = 2), or asymmetry in the location of the two lobes (n = 1). Patients with a normal sized and shaped thyroid gland showed a significantly less severe form of hypothyroidism than those with a goitre or a hypoplastic thyroid gland (P < 0.0002). Among permanent CH cases, those with a goitre (n = 27) had an iodine organification defect (n = 10), Pendred syndrome (n = 1), a defect of thyroglobulin synthesis (n = 8), or a defect of sodium iodine symporter (n = 1), and in seven patients no aetiology could be determined. Among permanent cases with a normal sized and shaped thyroid gland (n = 14), a specific aetiology was found in only one patient (pseudohypoparathyroidism) and two patients had Down's syndrome. Among those with a globally hypoplastic gland, a TSH receptor gene mutation was found in two patients.Conclusions A precise description of the phenotype can enhance our understanding of various forms of neonatal hypothyroidism as well as their prevalence and management. It also helps to identify cases of congenital hypothyroidism of unknown aetiology, which will need to be investigated in collaboration with molecular biologists

Introduction to the JOCN special issue on future PON architectures enabled by advanced technology

This JOCN Special Issue, which spans the September and October 2020 issues, investigates the future of passive optical networks (PONs) in light of new enabling technologies that are currently under consideration. The papers present a broad overview of topics of current interest, across both the physical and network layers. They investigate how new technologies (e.g., higher-speed direct detection transceivers, coherent systems, advanced digital signal processing, and new optoelectronic components) and new network-layer approaches may drive the medium- to long-term evolution of PONs

Cross-Talk Between Antigen Presenting Cells and T Cells Impacts Intestinal Homeostasis, Bacterial Infections, and Tumorigenesis

Innate immunity is maintained in part by antigen presenting cells (APCs) including dendritic cells, macrophages, and B cells. APCs interact with T cells to link innate and adaptive immune responses. By displaying bacterial and tumorigenic antigens on their surface via major histocompatibility complexes, APCs can directly influence the differentiation of T cells. Likewise, T cell activation, differentiation, and effector functions are modulated by APCs utilizing multiple mechanisms. The objective of this review is to describe how APCs interact with and influence the activation of T cells to maintain innate immunity during exposure to microbial infection and malignant cells. How bacteria and cancer cells take advantage of some of these interactions for their own benefit will also be discussed. While this review will cover a broad range of topics, a general focus will be held around pathogens, cancers, and interactions that typically occur within the gastrointestinal tract

High-throughput methods to identify male Cannabis sativa using various genotyping methods

Background Cannabis sativa is a primarily dioecious angiosperm that exhibits sexual developmental plasticity. Developmental genes for staminate male flowers have yet to be elucidated; however, there are regions of male-associated DNA from Cannabis (MADC) that correlate with the formation of pollen producing staminate flowers. MADC2 is an example of a PCR-based genetic marker that has been shown to produce a 390-bp amplicon that correlates with the expression of male phenotypes. We demonstrate applications of a cost-effective high-throughput male genotyping assay and other genotyping applications of male identification in Cannabis sativa. Methods In this study, we assessed data from 8200 leaf samples analyzed for real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) detection of MADC2 in a commercial testing application offered through Steep Hill Laboratories. Through validation, collaborative research projects, and follow-up retest analysis, we observed a > 98.5% accuracy of detection of MADC2 by qPCR. We also carried out assay development for high-resolution melting analysis (HRM), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and TwistDx recombinase amplification (RPA) assays using MADC2 for male identification. Results We demonstrate a robust high-throughput duplex TaqMan qPCR assay for identification of male-specific genomic signatures using a novel MADC2 qPCR probe. The qPCR cycle quotient (Cq) value representative of MADC2 detection in 3156 males and the detection of tissue control cannabinoid synthesis for 8200 samples and the absence of MADC2 detection in 5047 non-males demonstrate a robust high-throughput real-time genotyping assay for Cannabis. Furthermore, we also demonstrated the viability of using nearby regions to MADC2 with novel primers as alternative assays. Finally, we also show proof of concept of several additional commercially viable sex determination methodologies for Cannabis sativa. Discussion In industrial applications, males are desirable for their more rapid growth and higher quality fiber quality, as well as their ability to pollinate female plants and produce grain. In medicinal applications, female cultivars are more desirable for their ability to produce large amounts of secondary metabolites, specifically the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids that have various medicinal and recreational properties. In previous studies, traditional PCR and non-high-throughput methods have been reported for the detection of male cannabis, and in our study, we present multiple methodologies that can be carried out in high-throughput commercial cannabis testing. Conclusion With these markers developed for high-throughput testing assays, the Cannabis industry will be able to easily screen and select for the desired sex of a given cultivar depending on the application.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Factors influencing perception of effort (session rating of perceived exertion) during elite soccer training

Purpose: The aim of the current study was to identify the external-training-load markers that are most influential on session rating of perceived exertion (RPE) of training load (RPE-TL) during elite soccer training. Methods: Twenty-two elite players competing in the English Premier League were monitored. Training-load data (RPE and 10-Hz GPS integrated with a 100-Hz accelerometer) were collected during 1892 individual training sessions over an entire in-season competitive period. Expert knowledge and a collinearity r &lt; .5 were used initially to select the external training variables for the final analysis. A multivariate-adjusted within-subjects model was employed to quantify the correlations of RPE and RPE-TL (RPE × duration) with various measures of external training intensity and training load. Results: Total high-speed-running (HSR; &gt;14.4 km/h) distance and number of impacts and accelerations &gt;3 m/s2 remained in the final multivariate model (P &lt; .001). The adjusted correlations with RPE were r = .14, r = .09, and r = .25 for HSR, impacts, and accelerations, respectively. For RPE-TL, the correlations were r = .11, r = .45, and r = .37, respectively. Conclusions: The external-load measures that were found to be moderately predictive of RPE-TL in soccer training were HSR distance and the number of impacts and accelerations. These findings provide new evidence to support the use of RPE-TL as a global measure of training load in elite soccer. Furthermore, understanding the influence of characteristics affecting RPE-TL may help coaches and practitioners enhance training prescription and athlete monitoring.</p

Total Cost of Ownership of Digital vs. Analog Radio-Over-Fiber Architectures for 5G Fronthauling

The article analyzes the total cost of ownership (TCO) of 5G fronthauling solutions based on analog and digital radio-over-fiber (RoF) architectures in cloud radio access networks (C-RANs). The capital and operational expenditures (CAPEX, OPEX) are assessed, for a 10-year period, considering three different RoF techniques: intermediate frequency analog RoF (IF-A-RoF), digital signal processing (DSP) assisted analog RoF (DSP-A-RoF), and digital RoF (D-RoF) based on the common public radio interface (CPRI) specifications. The greenfield deployment scenario under exam includes both fiber trenching (FT) and fiber leasing (FL) options. The TCO is assessed while varying (i) the number of aggregated subcarriers, (ii) the number of three-sector antennas located at the base station, and (iii) the mean fiber-hop length. The comparison highlights the significance that subcarrier aggregation has on the cost efficiency of the analog RoF solutions. In addition, the analysis details the contribution of each cost category to the overall CAPEX and OPEX values. The obtained results indicate that subcarrier aggregation via DSP results in high cost efficiency for a mobile fronthaul network, while a CPRI-based architecture together with FL brings the highest OPEX value

Statistical Analysis of 100 Gbps per Wavelength SWDM VCSEL-MMF Data Center Links on a Large Set of OM3 and OM4 Fibers

We present a detailed statistical study on achievable reach of 100 Gbps data center optical links based on vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL) and multimode fibers (MMF). Based on the characterization of the spectral and spatial properties of eight lasers and of the modal and dispersion behavior of a large set of 20233 OM3 and OM4 modeled fibers (obtained by properly extending an initial set of 500 measured fibers), we compute the resulting frequency responses of all of the VCSEL-MMF combinations. Then, we feed them to a numerical tool modeling PAM-4 transmission at 100 Gbps net bit rate per wavelength. Our model analyzes performance at distances up to 400 meters, using three different adaptive equalizers at the receiver and considering two forward error correction overheads. We show that 100 Gbps operation is feasible for 99% of the simulated links reaching up to 120 m over OM4 at 850 nm and using a decision feedback equalizer (DFE). Aggregated data rates of 200 Gbps and 400 Gbps per fiber using Shortwave Wavelength Division Multiplexing (SWDM) are achievable for 99% of the links reaching 80 m over OM4 using two wavelengths and feed-forward equalizer (FFE) and four wavelengths and maximum likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE)-based equalizer, respectively

Great debate:myocardial infarction after cardiac surgery must be redefined

Graphical Abstract Pros and cons of redefining peri-operative myocardial infarction (PMI) to cardiac troponin (cTn) levels of at least 130-170x 99th percentile upper reference limit (URL). CABG, coronary artery bypass grafting; CK-MB, creatine kinase-myocardial band; ECG, electrocardiogram; MI, myocardial infarction; UDMI, universal definition of myocardial infarction