Bayesian longitudinal tensor response regression for modeling neuroplasticity

A major interest in longitudinal neuroimaging studies involves investigating voxel-level neuroplasticity due to treatment and other factors across visits. However, traditional voxel-wise methods are beset with several pitfalls, which can compromise the accuracy of these approaches. We propose a novel Bayesian tensor response regression approach for longitudinal imaging data, which pools information across spatially-distributed voxels to infer significant changes while adjusting for covariates. The proposed method, which is implemented using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling, utilizes low-rank decomposition to reduce dimensionality and preserve spatial configurations of voxels when estimating coefficients. It also enables feature selection via joint credible regions which respect the shape of the posterior distributions for more accurate inference. In addition to group level inferences, the method is able to infer individual-level neuroplasticity, allowing for examination of personalized disease or recovery trajectories. The advantages of the proposed approach in terms of prediction and feature selection over voxel-wise regression are highlighted via extensive simulation studies. Subsequently, we apply the approach to a longitudinal Aphasia dataset consisting of task functional MRI images from a group of subjects who were administered either a control intervention or intention treatment at baseline and were followed up over subsequent visits. Our analysis revealed that while the control therapy showed long-term increases in brain activity, the intention treatment produced predominantly short-term changes, both of which were concentrated in distinct localized regions. In contrast, the voxel-wise regression failed to detect any significant neuroplasticity after multiplicity adjustments, which is biologically implausible and implies lack of power.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figures, 6 table

Readout-segmented echo-planar imaging in diffusion-weighted mr imaging in breast cancer: comparison with single-shot echo-planar imaging in image quality

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the image quality of standard single-shot echo-planar imaging (ss-EPI) and that of readout-segmented EPI (rs-EPI) in patients with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Seventy-one patients with 74 breast cancers underwent both ss-EPI and rs-EPI. For qualitative comparison of image quality, three readers independently assessed the two sets of diffusion-weighted (DW) images. To evaluate geometric distortion, a comparison was made between lesion lengths derived from contrast enhanced MR (CE-MR) images and those obtained from the corresponding DW images. For assessment of image parameters, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), lesion contrast, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated. Results: The rs-EPI was superior to ss-EPI in most criteria regarding the qualitative image quality. Anatomical structure distinction, delineation of the lesion, ghosting artifact, and overall image quality were significantly better in rs-EPI. Regarding the geometric distortion, lesion length on ss-EPI was significantly different from that of CE-MR, whereas there were no significant differences between CE-MR and rs-EPI. The rs-EPI was superior to ss-EPI in SNR and CNR. Conclusion: Readout-segmented EPI is superior to ss-EPI in the aspect of image quality in DW MR imaging of the breast

Clinical outcomes of difficult-to-wean patients with ventilator dependency at intensive care unit discharge

Background: Ventilator-dependent patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) who are difficult to wean from invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) have been increasing in number. However, data on the clinical outcomes of difficult-to-wean patients are lacking. We aimed to evaluate clinical outcomes in patients discharged from the ICU with tracheostomy and ventilator dependency. Methods: We retrospectively investigated clinical course and survival in patients requiring home mechanical ventilation (HMV) with a tracheostomy and difficulty weaning from IMV during medical ICU admission from September 2013 through August 2016 at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea. Results: Of 84 difficult-to-wean patients who were started on HMV in the medical ICU, 72 survived, were discharged from the ICU, and were included in this analysis. HMV was initiated after a median of 23 days of IMV, and the successful weaning rate was 46% (n = 33). In-hospital mortality rate was significantly lower in the successfully weaned group than the unsuccessfully weaned group (0% vs. 23.1%, respectively; P = 0.010). Weaning rates were similar according to primary diagnosis, but high body mass index (BMI), low Acute Physiologic Assessment and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score at ICU admission, and absence of neuromuscular disease were associated with weaning success. After a median follow-up of 4.6 months (range, 1-27 months) for survivors, 3-month (n = 64) and 6-month (n = 59) survival rates were 82.5% and 72.2%, respectively. Survival rates were higher in the successfully weaned group than the unsuccessfully weaned group at 3 months (96.4% vs. 69.0%; P = 0.017) and 6 months (84.0% vs. 62.1%; P = 0.136) following ICU discharge. Conclusions: In summary, 46% of patients who started HMV were successfully weaned from the ventilator in general wards. High BMI, low APACHE II score, and absence of neuromuscular disease were factors associated with weaning success.11Nscopuskc

Analysis of Macroscopic Traffic Network Impacted by Structural Damage to Bridges from Earthquakes

Highway systems play a key role in providing mobility to society, especially during emergency situations, including earthquakes. Bridges in highway systems are susceptible to damage from earthquakes, causing traffic capacity loss leading to a serious impact on surrounding areas. To better prepare for such scenarios, it is important to estimate capacity loss and traffic disruptions from earthquakes. For this purpose, a traffic-capacity-analysisbased methodology was developed to model the performance of a transportation network immediately following an earthquake using a macroscopic multi-level urban traffic planning simulation model EMME4. This method employs the second order linear approximation (SOLA) traffic assignment and calculates total system travel time for various capacity loss scenarios due to bridge damage from earthquakes. It has been applied to Pohang City in Korea to evaluate the performance of traffic networks in various situations. The results indicate a significant increase in travel time and a decrease in travel speed as the intensity of an earthquake increases. However, the impact on traffic volume varies depending on the bridges. It is assumed that the location of the bridges and traffic routing patterns might be the main reason. The results are expected to help estimate the impact on transportation networks when earthquakes cause traffic capacity loss on bridges

In vitro antioxidant and anti-adipogenic effects of slendesta, standard potato extracts containing 5% protease inhibitor II

Background: The objective of the present study is to observe the anti-adipogenic effects of Slendesta (SLD), a standard potato protein extracts containing 5% potato protease inhibitor II (PI2) on the 3T3-L1 preadipocytes which are able to differentiate into mature adipocytes and accumulate lipids, as an obesity model with cytotoxicity and antioxidant effects.Materials and Methods: The cytotoxicity of SLD was observed against 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cell line by MTT assay, and also antiadipogenic effects were observed through lipid accumulation assay during 3T3-L1 differentiation as comparing with N-Acetyl-Lcysteine (NAC). In addition, antioxidant effects of SLD were detected by free radical scavenging capacity and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity as comparing with ascorbic acid.Results: The SLD showed obvious cytotoxicity against 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte cell line at higher concentrations, from 1.5 mg/ml for 72 h treatment, and the cytotoxic IC50 of SLD after 24, 48 and 72 h treatment times were detected as 10.11 ± 0.67, 5.71 ± 0.37 and 5.34 ± 0.21 mg/ml, respectively. The SLD also concentration-dependently inhibited the lipid accumulations formatted during 3T3-L1 cell differentiations. The adipogenic specific genes including PPARγ, C/EBPα, C/EBPβ and leptin were found to be reduced in SLD and NAC-treated cells compared to control cells. Furthermore, the SLD effectively showed DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 161.98 ± 64.65 μg/ml) and SOD-like effects (IC50 = 284.54 ± 54.47 μg/ml), and the cellular ROS was significantly inhibited in the SLD-treated cells compared to control cells.Conclusion: The results suggest that SLD effectively inhibit the differentiations of 3T3-L1 preadipose cell probably through antioxidant activities and direct cytotoxicity in case of higher concentration, along with satiety effects mediated by increases of circulating cholecystokinin. These findings are considered as direct evidences that SLD may serve as a predictable functional ingredient for obesity as an alternative therapy.Key words: Slendesta, potato protease inhibitor II, 3T3-L1 cell, cytotoxicity, anti-adipogenic effects, antioxidant effects

Clinical characteristics of comorbid tic disorders in autism spectrum disorder: exploratory analysis

Background The frequency, clinical characteristics, and associated symptoms of comorbid tic disorders in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remain unclear. Methods We included subsets of individuals from a larger genetic study who were diagnosed with ASD (n = 679; age: 4–18 years) and completed the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) questionnaire. Based on the YGTSS score, the individuals were divided into two groups: ASD only (n = 554) and ASD with tics (n = 125). Individuals were assessed using the verbal and non-verbal intelligence quotient (IQ), Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS-2), Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2), Child Behavior Checklists (CBCL), and Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), followed by between-group comparisons. All statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Results Tic symptoms were observed in 125 (18.4%) participants; among them, most participants presented both motor and vocal tics (n = 40, 40.0%). The ASD with tics group had a significantly higher average age and full-scale IQ score than the ASD only group. After adjusting for age, the ASD with tics group had significantly higher scores in the SRS-2, CBCL, and YBOCS subdomains than the ASD only group. Furthermore, all variables except the non-verbal IQ and VABS-2 scores were positively correlated with the YGTSS total score. Finally, the proportion of tic symptoms was significantly higher among individuals with a higher IQ score (≥ 70). Conclusions The IQ score was positively correlated with the proportion of tic symptoms among individuals with ASD. Moreover, the severity of the core and comorbid symptoms of ASD was associated with the occurrence and severity of tic disorders. Our findings suggest the need for appropriate clinical interventions for individuals with ASD. Trial registration This study retrospectively registered participantsThis research was supported by the Bio & Medical Technology Development Program of the National Research Foundation (NRF), funded by the Korean government (MSIT) (No. 2021M3E5D9021878) and by the Institute for Information & Communications Technology Promotion (ITTP) grant funded by the Korean government (MSIT) (No.2019-0-00330, Development of AI Technology for Early Screening of Infant/Child Autism Spectrum Disorders based on Cognition of the Psychological Behavior and Response). The role of the funding body was collection, analysis, and interpretation of data

A Synonymous Genetic Alteration of LMX1B in a Family with Nail-Patella Syndrome

The gene responsible for nail-patella syndrome, LMX1B, has recently been identified on chromosome 9q. Here we present a patient with nail-patella syndrome and an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. A 17-year-old girl visited our clinic for the evaluation and treatment of proteinuria. She had dystrophic nails, palpable iliac horns, and hypoplastic patellae. Electron microscopy of a renal biopsy showed irregular thickening of the glomerular basement membrane. A family history over three generations revealed five affected family members. Genetic analysis found a change of TCG to TCC, resulting in a synonymous alteration at codon 219 in exon 4 of the LMX1B gene in two affected family members. The same alteration was not detected in an unaffected family member. This is the first report of familial nail-patella syndrome associated with an LMX1B in Korea mutation, However, we can not completely rule out the possibility that the G-to-C change may be a single nucleotide polymorphism as this genetic mutation cause no alteration in amino acid sequence of LMX1B