New acoustic respiratory sound monitoring with artificial intelligence

Monitored anesthesia care (MAC) often causes airway complications, particularly posing an elevated risk of aspiration and airway obstruction in obese patients. This study aimed to quantify the levels of aspiration and airway obstruction using an artificial intelligence (AI)-based acoustic analysis algorithm, assessing its utility in identifying airway complications in obese patients. To verify the correlation between the stridor quantitative value (STQV) calculated by acoustic analysis and body weight, and to further evaluate fluid retention and airway obstruction, STQV calculated exhaled breath sounds collected at the neck region, was compared before and after injection of 3 ml of water in the oral cavity and at the start and end of the MAC procedures. STQV measured immediately following the initiation of MAC exhibited a weak correlation with body mass index. Furhtermore, STQV values before and after water injection increased predominantly after injection, further increased at the end of MAC. AI-based analysis of cervical respiratory sounds can enhance the safety of airway management during MAC by quantifying airway obstruction and fluid retention in obese patients

The Second ARM Training and Science Application Event : Training the Next Generation of Atmospheric Scientists

Non peer reviewe

How we approach paediatric renal tumour core needle biopsy in the setting of preoperative chemotherapy: A Review from the SIOP Renal Tumour Study Group

The International Society of Paediatric Oncology Renal Tumour Study Group (SIOP-RTSG) advocate treating children with Wilms tumour (WT) with preoperative chemotherapy, whereas the Renal Tumor Committee of the Children's Oncology Group (COG) advocates primary nephrectomy (without biopsy) when feasible. Successive SIOP-RTSG trial protocols recommended pretreatment biopsy of children with unilateral tumours only where there were features to suggest an increased probability of a non-WT requiring a change in management. The UK experience in the SIOP WT 2001 trial showed that an alternate approach of performing biopsies on all children with renal tumour masses to determine histology at diagnosis rarely changes management, and can result in misdiagnosis (particularly patients in the age range typical for WT). Although a more selective approach to biopsy has been routine practice in all other countries participating in SIOP-RTSG trials, there was variation between national groups. To address this variation and provide evidence-based recommendations for the indications and recommended approach to renal tumour biopsy within the SIOP paradigm, an international, multidisciplinary working group of SIOP-RTSG members was convened. We describe the resulting recommendations of this group, which are to be incorporated in the ongoing SIOP-RTSG UMBRELLA study

Evaluation of Multiple Doppler Retrievals of Convection in Darwin

Climate Model Development and Validation: (1) DOE's E3SM model being developed with goal of an increased resolution of 13 km (right arrow) assumptions made in convective parameterizations may not apply. (2) Need long term dataset with quantifiable large scale forcings to evaluate performance of convective parameterizations. (3) Vertical velocities are critical for calculating mass fluxes but are poorly represented in GCMs. (4) Dual Doppler techniques can retrieve vertical velocities, but uncertainties can be high due to sampling, mass continuity assumptions, fall speed assumptions, boundary conditions. (5) Can use high-resolution model simulated radar variables to assess impacts of such uncertaintie

Detection of small drizzle droplets in a large cloud chamber using ultrahigh-resolution radar

A large convection–cloud chamber has the potential to produce drizzle-sized droplets, thus offering a new opportunity to investigate aerosol–cloud–drizzle interactions at a fundamental level under controlled environmental conditions. One key measurement requirement is the development of methods to detect the low-concentration drizzle drops in such a large cloud chamber. In particular, remote sensing methods may overcome some limitations of in situ methods. Here, the potential of an ultrahigh-resolution radar to detect the radar return signal of a small drizzle droplet against the cloud droplet background signal is investigated. It is found that using a small sampling volume is critical to drizzle detection in a cloud chamber to allow a drizzle drop in the radar sampling volume to dominate over the background cloud droplet signal. For instance, a radar volume of 1 cubic centimeter (cm3) would enable the detection of drizzle embryos with diameter larger than 40 µm. However, the probability of drizzle sampling also decreases as the sample volume reduces, leading to a longer observation time. Thus, the selection of radar volume should consider both the signal power and the drizzle occurrence probability. Finally, observations from the Pi Convection–Cloud Chamber are used to demonstrate the single-drizzle-particle detection concept using small radar volume. The results presented in this study also suggest new applications of ultrahigh-resolution cloud radar for atmospheric sensing.</p

Prognostic value of hedgehog signal component expressions in hepatoblastoma patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>Activation of hedgehog (Hh) pathway has been implicated in the development of human malignancies. Hh as well as related downstream target genes has been extensively studied in many kinds of malignant tumours for clinical diagnostic or prognostic utilities. This study aimed at investigating whether Hh molecules provides a molecular marker of hepatoblastoma malignancy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We obtained tissue sections from 32 patients with hepatoblastoma as well as cholestasis and normal control. Immunohistochemical analysis were performed to determine Hh signal components in human hepatoblastoma. The prognostic significance of single expression of Hh signal components were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards regression models and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis for statistical analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Expression of Hh signal components showed an increase in hepatoblastoma compared with chole stasis and normal tissues. There was a positive correlation between Smo or Gli1 expression and tumor clinicopathological features, such as histological type, tumor grade, tumor size and clinical stage. Both Smo or Gli1 protein high expression was significantly associated with poor prognosis by univariate analyses and multivariate analyses.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Abnormal Hh signaling activation plays important roles in the malignant potential of hepatoblastoma. Gli1 expression is an independent prognostic marker.</p

Is radiotherapy required in first-line treatment of stage I diffuse anaplastic Wilms tumor? A report of SIOP-RTSG, AIEOP, JWiTS, and UKCCSG

BACKGROUND: As a significant proportion of relapses occurred in the tumor bed or abdomen on patients with the fifth National Wilms Tumor Study stage I anaplastic Wilms tumor (WT), flank radiotherapy was added for stage I anaplastic WT in the subsequent study of the Children's Oncology Group (AREN0321). Preliminary results revealed reduction of relapse rate and improved survival. In cases treated with preoperative chemotherapy, such as in International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP), the value of radiotherapy has never been studied. The aim of this observational study is to describe the pattern of recurrence and survival of patients with stage I diffuse anaplastic WT (DAWT) after induction chemotherapy. METHODS: Retrospective data analysis of the pattern of relapse and survival of all patients with stage I DAWT were included in recent SIOP, L'Associazone Italiana Ematologica Oncologia Pediatrica (AIEOP), Japan Wilms Tumor Study Group (JWiTS), United Kingdom Children's Cancer Study Group (UKCCSG) renal tumor registries. Postoperative treatment consisted of actinomycin D, vincristine, and doxorubicin for 28 weeks without local irradiation. RESULTS: One hundred nine cases with stage I DAWT were identified, of which 95 cases received preoperative chemotherapy. Of these, seven patients underwent preoperative true‐cut biopsy. Sixteen of the 95 patients relapsed (17%), six locally, four at distant site, and six combined, and all treated according to SIOP 2001 relapse protocol, which resulted in a 5‐year overall survival of 93%. CONCLUSION: Despite 13% locoregional relapse rate, an excellent rescue rate was achieved after salvage treatment, in patients with stage I DAWT whose first‐line treatment comprised three‐drug chemotherapy (including doxorubicin), without flank irradiation. Therefore, we continue not to advocate the use of radiotherapy in first‐line treatment after preoperative chemotherapy in stage I DAWT in the next SIOP protocol

DNA methylation subgroups and the CpG island methylator phenotype in gastric cancer: A comprehensive profiling approach

10.1186/1471-230X-14-55BMC Gastroenterology141-BGMA

Loss of full length CtBP1 expression enhances the invasive potential of human melanoma

BACKGROUND: The C-terminal binding protein 1 (CtBP1) is a known co-repressor of gene transcription. We recently revealed that CtBP1 expression is lost in melanoma cells and melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA) expression is subsequently increased. The present study was performed to evaluate a more general role of CtBP1 in human melanoma and identify further CtBP1-regulated target genes. METHODS: Sequence analysis and expression profile of CtBP1 in melanoma cell lines were done by PCR. Boyden Chamber assays and co-immunoprecipitation were performed to investigate the functional role of CtBP1. Gene expression analysis and micro array data were used to define target genes. RESULTS: Interestingly, we detected an alternative splice product of CtBP1 with unknown function whose expression is induced at reduction of full length CtBP1. Overexpression of full length CtBP1 in melanoma cells had no effect on cell proliferation but did influence cell migration and invasiveness. To understand the effect of CtBP1 we identified putative LEF/TCF target genes found to be strongly expressed in melanoma using DNA microarray analysis. We focused on fourteen genes not previously associated with melanoma. Detailed analysis revealed that most of these were known to be involved in tumor metastasis. Eleven genes had expression profiles associated with melanoma cell invasiveness. CONCLUSION: In summary, this study revealed that reduction of CtBP1 expression is correlated with migratory, invasive potential of melanoma cells