Hexyl aminolevulinate, 5-aminolevulinic acid nanoemulsion, and methyl aminolevulinate in photodynamic therapy of non-aggressive basal cell carcinomas: A non-sponsored, randomized, prospective and double-blinded trial

Abstract Background In the photodynamic therapy (PDT) of non-aggressive basal cell carcinomas (BCCs), 5-aminolevulinic acid nanoemulsion (BF-200ALA) has shown non-inferior efficacy when compared with methyl aminolevulinate (MAL), a widely used photosensitizer. Hexyl aminolevulinate (HAL) is an interesting alternative photosensitizer. To our knowledge, this is the first study using HAL-PDT in the treatment of BCCs. Objectives To compare the histological clearance, tolerability (pain and post-treatment reaction), and cosmetic outcome of MAL, BF-200 ALA, and low-concentration HAL in the PDT of non-aggressive BCCs. Methods Ninety-eight histologically verified non-aggressive BCCs met the inclusion criteria, and 54 patients with 95 lesions completed the study. The lesions were randomized to receive LED-PDT in two repeated treatments with MAL, BF-200 ALA, or HAL. Efficacy was assessed both clinically and confirmed histologically at three months by blinded observers. Furthermore, cosmetic outcome, pain, post-treatment reactions fluorescence, and photobleaching were evaluated. Results According to intention-to-treat analyses, the histologically confirmed lesion clearance was 93.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 79.9?98.3) for MAL, 90.9% (95% CI = 76.4?96.9) for BF-200 ALA, and 87.9% (95% CI = 72.7?95.2) for HAL, with no differences between the arms (p=0.84). There were no differences between the arms as regards pain, post-treatment reactions, or cosmetic outcome. Conclusions PDT with low-concentration HAL and BF-200 ALA have a similar efficacy, tolerability, and cosmetic outcome compared to MAL. HAL is an interesting new option in dermatological PDT, since good efficacy is achieved with a low concentration.Peer reviewe

Polycystic ovary syndrome and leukocyte telomere length: cross-sectional and longitudinal changes

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Type C botulism due to toxic feed affecting 52,000 farmed foxes and minks in Finland

The largest reported outbreak of type C botulism in fur production animals is described. Epidemiological investigation of 117 out of 157 (response rate, 74.5%) farms revealed that 44,130 animals died or were euthanized, while 8,033 animals with milder symptoms recovered. The overall death rate in all animals at risk was 21.7%. The death rates were significantly higher in blue and shadow foxes (24.2 and 27.8%, respectively) than in silver and blue silver foxes and minks (below 4%). All minks had been immunized against botulinum toxin type C. Deaths were associated with feed manufactured by a local processor, 83 of whose customer farms (70.9%) reported dead or sick animals. Five feedlots out of 19 delivered to the farms on the day preceding the onset of the outbreak (day 2) were associated with a death rate higher than 40%. These feedlots consisted of fresh feed processed on day 2 and feed processed 1 day earlier (day 1). In laboratory analysis, the day 2 feed contained botulinum toxin type C (>600 minimum lethal doses/g), while the day 1 feed did not contain toxin. Toxin was not detected in feed raw-material samples. Clostridium botulinum type C was detected by PCR in some feed components and in feed. However, as the feed temperature was continuously 8°C or below and the pH was continuously 5.6 or below according to the manufacturer, it seems unlikely that spore germination and toxin formation occurred during overnight storage. Hence, the events leading to toxin formation were not determined

Polycystic ovary syndrome and leukocyte telomere length : cross-sectional and longitudinal changes

Objective Telomeres are DNA-protein complexes that protect chromosome ends from DNA damage and are surrogate biomarkers of cellular ageing. Current evidence, almost entirely from cross-sectional observations, supports negative associations between leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and adverse lifestyle factors and cardio-metabolic risk factors. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common gynecological endocrine disorder, is associated with inflammation and oxidative stress, both factors associated with accelerated telomere attrition. We therefore hypothesized that LTL would be shorter and decrease more rapidly in women with PCOS in comparison to a control population. Design Population-based cohort study: women of Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966, with clinical examinations at ages 31 and 46. The sample included self-reported PCOS (PCOS) (age 31:N=190; age 46:N=207) and referent women (age 31:N=1054; age 46:N=1324) with data on LTL. Methods The association between LTL and PCOS at ages 31 and 46 was analyzed by linear regression models adjusted for BMI, smoking, alcohol consumption and socioeconomic status at the corresponding age. Results Women with PCOS had similar mean LTL at ages 31 and 46 (P>0.4 for both). The mean LTL change between ages 31 and 46 did not differ between groups (P=0.19). However, we observed a significant LTL attrition between ages 31 and 46 in the reference population (P<0.001), but not in women with PCOS (P=0.96). Conclusions This finding may suggest a difference in LTL attrition rate in women with PCOS, an unexpected finding that might affect their risk of age-related disease. Further research is needed to clarify the underlying mechanisms

Sustainable Forest Management Preferences of Interest Groups in Three Regions with Different Levels of Industrial Forestry: An Exploratory Attribute-Based Choice Experiment

The challenge of sustainable forest management is to integrate diverse and sometimes conflicting management objectives. In order to achieve this goal, we need a better understanding of the aspects influencing the preferences of diverse groups and how these groups make trade-offs between different attributes of SFM. We compare the SFM preferences of interest groups in regions with different forest use histories based on the reasoning that the condition of the forest reflects the forest use history of the area. The condition of the forest also shapes an individual’s forest values and attitudes. These held values and attitudes are thought to influence SFM preferences. We tested whether the SFM preferences vary amongst the different interest groups within and across regions. We collected data from 252 persons using a choice experiment approach, where participants chose multiple times among different options described by a combination of attributes that are assigned different levels. The novelty of our approach was the use of choice experiments in the assessment of regional preference differences. Given the complexity of interregional comparison and the small sample size, this was an exploratory study based on a purposive rather than random sample. Nevertheless, our results suggest that the aggregation of preferences of all individuals within a region does not reveal all information necessary for forest management planning since opposing viewpoints could cancel each other out and lead to an interpretation that does not reflect possibly polarised views. Although based on a small\ud sample size, the preferences of interest groups within a region are generally statistically significantly different from each other; however preferences of interest groups across regions are also significantly different. This illustrates the potential importance of assessing heterogeneity by region and by group

Piecewise anomaly detection using minimal learning machine for hyperspectral images

Hyperspectral imaging, with its applications, offers promising tools for remote sensing and Earth observation. Recent development has increased the quality of the sensors. At the same time, the prices of the sensors are lowering. Anomaly detection is one of the popular remote sensing applications, which benefits from real-time solutions. A real-time solution has its limitations, for example, due to a large amount of hyperspectral data, platform’s (drones or a cube satellite) constraints on payload and processing capability. Other examples are the limitations of available energy and the complexity of the machine learning models. When anomalies are detected in real-time from the hyperspectral images, one crucial factor is to utilise a computationally efficient method. The Minimal Learning Machine is a distance-based classification algorithm, which can be modified for anomaly detection. Earlier studies confirms that the Minimal learning Machine (MLM) is capable of detecting efficiently global anomalies from the hyperspectral images with a false alarm rate of zero. In this study, we will show that by using a carefully selected lower threshold besides the higher threshold of the variance, it is possible to detect local and global anomalies with the MLM. The downside is that the improved method is highly sensitive with the respect to the noise. Thus, the second aim of this study is to improve the MLM’s robustness with respect to noise by introducing a novel approach, the piecewise MLM. With the new approach, the piecewise MLM can detect global and local anomalies, and the method is significantly more robust with respect to noise than the MLM. As a result, we have an interesting, easy to implement and computationally light method which is suitable for remote sensing applications.peerReviewe

Ablative fractional laser‐assisted photodynamic therapy for lentigo maligna : a prospective pilot study

Background Lentigo maligna (LM) is an in‐situ form of melanoma carrying a risk of progression to invasive lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM). LM poses a clinical challenge, with subclinical extension and high recurrence rates after incomplete surgery. Alternative treatment methods have been investigated with varying results. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with methylaminolaevulinate (MAL) has already proved promising in this respect. Objectives To investigate the efficacy of ablative fractional laser (AFL)‐assisted PDT with 5‐aminolaevulinic acid nanoemulsion (BF‐200 ALA) for treating LM. Methods In this non‐sponsored, prospective pilot study ten histologically verified LMs were treated with AFL‐assisted PDT three times at two week intervals using a light dose of 90 J/cm2 per treatment session. Local anaesthesia with ropivacain was used. Four weeks after the last PDT treatment the lesions were treated surgically with a wide excision and sent for histopathological examination. The primary outcome was complete histopathological clearance of the LM from the surgical specimen. Patient‐reported pain during illumination and the severity of the skin reaction after the PDT treatments were monitored as secondary outcomes. Results The complete histopathological clearance rate was 7 out of 10 LMs (70%). The pain during illumination was tolerable, with the mean pain scores for the PDT sessions on a visual assessment scale ranging from 2.9 to 3.8. Some severe skin reactions occurred during the treatment period, however. Conclusions AFL‐assisted PDT showed moderate efficacy in terms of histological clearance. It could constitute an alternative treatment for lentigo maligna but due to the side‐effects it should only be considered in inoperable cases.peerReviewe

Biomass estimator for NIR image with a few additional spectral band images taken from light UAS

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