Recommendations for research design and reporting in computer-assisted diagnosis to facilitate meta-analysis

AbstractComputer-assisted diagnosis (CAD) describes a diverse, heterogeneous range of applications rather than a single entity. The aims and functions of CAD systems vary considerably and comparing studies and systems is challenging due to methodological and design differences. In addition, poor study quality and reporting can reduce the value of some publications. Meta-analyses of CAD are therefore difficult and may not provide reliable conclusions. Aiming to determine the major sources of heterogeneity and thereby what CAD researchers could change to allow this sort of assessment, this study reviews a sample of 147 papers concerning CAD used with imaging for cancer diagnosis. It discusses sources of variability, including the goal of the CAD system, learning methodology, study population, design, outcome measures, inclusion of radiologists, and study quality. Based upon this evidence, recommendations are made to help researchers optimize the quality and comparability of their trial design and reporting

Real-Time Measurement of Face Recognition in Rapid Serial Visual Presentation

Event-related potentials (ERPs) have been used extensively to study the processes involved in recognition memory. In particular, the early familiarity component of recognition has been linked to the FN400 (mid-frontal negative deflection between 300 and 500 ms), whereas the recollection component has been linked to a later positive deflection over the parietal cortex (500–800 ms). In this study, we measured the ERPs elicited by faces with varying degrees of familiarity. Participants viewed a continuous sequence of faces with either low (novel faces), medium (celebrity faces), or high (faces of friends and family) familiarity while performing a separate face-identification task. We found that the level of familiarity was significantly correlated with the magnitude of both the early and late recognition components. Additionally, by using a single-trial classification technique, applied to the entire evoked response, we were able to distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar faces with a high degree of accuracy. The classification of high versus low familiarly resulted in areas under the curve of up to 0.99 for some participants. Interestingly, our classifier model (a linear discriminant function) was developed using a completely separate object categorization task on a different population of participants

Antigen depot is not required for alum adjuvanticity

Alum adjuvants have been in continuous clinical use for more than 80 yr. While the prevailing theory has been that depot formation and the associated slow release of antigen and/or inflammation are responsible for alum enhancement of antigen presentation and subsequent T- and B-cell responses, this has never been formally proven. To examine antigen persistence, we used the chimeric fluorescent protein EαGFP, which allows assessment of antigen presentation in situ, using the Y-Ae antibody. We demonstrate that alum and/or CpG adjuvants induced similar uptake of antigen, and in all cases, GFP signal did not persist beyond 24 h in draining lymph node antigen-presenting cells. Antigen presentation was first detectable on B cells within 6–12 h of antigen administration, followed by conventional dendritic cells (DCs) at 12–24 h, then finally plasmacytoid DCs at 48 h or later. Again, alum and/or CpG adjuvants did not have an effect on the magnitude or sequence of this response; furthermore, they induced similar antigen-specific T-cell activation in vivo. Notably, removal of the injection site and associated alum depot, as early as 2 h after administration, had no appreciable effect on antigen-specific T- and B-cell responses. This study clearly rules out a role for depot formation in alum adjuvant activity

On the decay of turbulence in plane Couette flow

The decay of turbulent and laminar oblique bands in the lower transitional range of plane Couette flow is studied by means of direct numerical simulations of the Navier--Stokes equations. We consider systems that are extended enough for several bands to exist, thanks to mild wall-normal under-resolution considered as a consistent and well-validated modelling strategy. We point out a two-stage process involving the rupture of a band followed by a slow regression of the fragments left. Previous approaches to turbulence decay in wall-bounded flows making use of the chaotic transient paradigm are reinterpreted within a spatiotemporal perspective in terms of large deviations of an underlying stochastic process.Comment: ETC13 Conference Proceedings, 6 pages, 5 figure

Shoulder Check:Investigating Shoulder Injury Rates, Types, Severity, Mechanisms, and Risk Factors in Canadian Youth Ice Hockey

Objective: To describe shoulder-related injury rates, types, severity, mechanisms, and risk factors in youth ice hockey players during games and practices. Study Design: Secondary analysis of data from a 5-year prospective cohort study Safeto-Play (2013-2018). Subjects: Overall, 4419 individual players (representing 6585 player-seasons; 3806 males: 613 females) participated. During this period, 118 primary shoulder-related game injuries and 12 practice injuries were reported. Outcome Measures: Injury surveillance data was collected from 2013-2018 (time-loss or medical attention injuries). Descriptive statistics were calculated, and injury rates with 95% CI were estimated using Poisson regression. An exploratory multivariable mixed-effects Poisson regression model (clustering by team and offset by exposure hours) examined risk factors. Results: The shoulder injury rate was 0.70 injuries/1000 game-hours (95% CI 0.371.33) and 0.07 injuries/1000 practice-hours (95% CI 0.04-0.12). Two-thirds of game injuries (n=79, 69%) resulted in >8 days of time-loss, and more than one-third (n=44, 39%) resulted in >28 days of time-loss. An 82% lower rate of shoulder injury was associated with policy prohibiting body checking compared to leagues allowing body checking [IRR=0.18 (95% CI 0.10-0.32)]. A higher shoulder injury rate was seen for those who reported any injury in the last 12-months compared to those with no history [IRR=2.32 (95% CI 1.57-3.41)]. Conclusions: Most shoulder injuries resulted in more than one week of time-loss. Risk factors for shoulder injury included participation in a body checking league and history of injury in the previous 12 months. Further study of prevention strategies specific to the shoulder may merit further consideration in ice hockey

Shoulder Check:Investigating Shoulder Injury Rates, Types, Severity, Mechanisms, and Risk Factors in Canadian Youth Ice Hockey

Objective: To describe shoulder-related injury rates, types, severity, mechanisms, and risk factors in youth ice hockey players during games and practices. Study Design: Secondary analysis of data from a 5-year prospective cohort study Safeto-Play (2013-2018). Subjects: Overall, 4419 individual players (representing 6585 player-seasons; 3806 males: 613 females) participated. During this period, 118 primary shoulder-related game injuries and 12 practice injuries were reported. Outcome Measures: Injury surveillance data was collected from 2013-2018 (time-loss or medical attention injuries). Descriptive statistics were calculated, and injury rates with 95% CI were estimated using Poisson regression. An exploratory multivariable mixed-effects Poisson regression model (clustering by team and offset by exposure hours) examined risk factors. Results: The shoulder injury rate was 0.70 injuries/1000 game-hours (95% CI 0.371.33) and 0.07 injuries/1000 practice-hours (95% CI 0.04-0.12). Two-thirds of game injuries (n=79, 69%) resulted in >8 days of time-loss, and more than one-third (n=44, 39%) resulted in >28 days of time-loss. An 82% lower rate of shoulder injury was associated with policy prohibiting body checking compared to leagues allowing body checking [IRR=0.18 (95% CI 0.10-0.32)]. A higher shoulder injury rate was seen for those who reported any injury in the last 12-months compared to those with no history [IRR=2.32 (95% CI 1.57-3.41)]. Conclusions: Most shoulder injuries resulted in more than one week of time-loss. Risk factors for shoulder injury included participation in a body checking league and history of injury in the previous 12 months. Further study of prevention strategies specific to the shoulder may merit further consideration in ice hockey

Attochirp-free High-order Harmonic Generation

A method is proposed for arbitrarily engineering the high-order harmonic generation phase achieved by shaping a laser pulse and employing xuv light or x rays for ionization. This renders the production of bandwidth-limited attosecond pulses possible while avoiding the use of filters for chirp compensation. By adding the first 8 Fourier components to a sinusoidal field of $10^{16}$W/cm$^2$, the bandwidth-limited emission of 8 as is shown to be possible from a Li$^{2+}$ gas. The scheme is extendable to the zs-scale

Malaria impairs T cell clustering and immune priming despite normal signal 1 from dendritic cells

Interactions between antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DCs) and T cells are essential for the induction of an immune response. However, during malaria infection, DC function is compromised and immune responses against parasite and heterologous antigens are reduced. Here, we demonstrate that malaria infection or the parasite pigment hemozoin inhibits T cell and DC interactions both in vitro and in vivo, while signal 1 intensity remains unaltered. This altered cellular behaviour is associated with the suppression of DC costimulatory activity and functional T cell responses, potentially explaining why immunity is reduced during malaria infection

2,2,3,3′-Tetra­phenyl-7,7′-biquinoxaline

In the crystal structure of the title compound, C40H26N4, mol­ecules reside on crystallographic centers of inversion and are linked via C—H⋯N inter­actions about inversion centers into one-dimensional chains: longer C—H⋯π(arene) inter­actions complete the inter­molecular inter­actions