Natural and Artificial Object Recognition: The Superiority of Natural Shape Features

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of 44 young adults (mean age = 21.7 years) to compare natural and artificial three-dimensional (3-D) objects using their senses of vision and touch. Previous research has indicated that the information content provided by a stimulus set can have a significant effect on a participant’s ability to perform cross-modal object recognition tasks. A primary goal of the present study was to understand what shape features are transferable between visual and haptic modalities. Participants haptically manipulated objects from one of two stimulus sets: bell peppers (Capsicum annuum) and sinusoidally-modulated spheres (SIMS). Then they indicated which of the 12 simultaneously visible objects possessed the same shape. It was found that the participants’ shape-matching performance was significantly higher for the bell pepper condition compared to the SIMS (t(42) = 11.8, p \u3c 0.000001). These results demonstrate that while young adults can reliably match the solid shape of objects across the sensory modalities of vision and touch, the obtained performance depends critically upon the mathematical characteristics of the solid shapes that are utilized

Advances in screening for radiation-associated cardiotoxicity in cancer patients

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Radiation is foundational to the treatment of cancer and improves overall survival. Yet, it is important to recognize the potential cardiovascular effects of radiation therapy and how to best minimize or manage them. Screening-both through imaging and with biomarkers-can potentially identify cardiovascular effects early, allowing for prompt initiation of treatment to mitigate late effects. RECENT FINDINGS: Cardiac echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography, and measurements of troponin and natriuretic peptides serve as the initial screening tests of choice for RICD. Novel imaging applications, including positron emission tomography and specific MRI parameters, and biomarker testing, including myeloperoxidase, growth differentiation factor 15, galectin 3, micro-RNA, and metabolomics, hold promise for earlier detection and more specific characterization of RICD. Advances in imaging and novel applications of biomarkers have potential to identify subclinical RICD and may reveal opportunities for early intervention. Further research is needed to elucidate optimal imaging screening modalities, biomarkers, and surveillance strategies

Best Practices for Occupational Therapy Fellowship and Physical Therapy Residency Programs: A Mixed Method Study

ABSTRACT Purpose: The purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to investigate occupational therapy fellowship and physical therapy residency directors’ perceptions of components of a successful residency program. Methods: A pilot survey was administered to occupational therapy fellowship and physical therapy residency directors prior to the study. A 17-item self-report survey was used to gather fellowship and residency director perceptions on the success of their respective programs. Directors of approved occupational therapy fellowship programs and accredited physical therapy residency programs were invited to participate. Following completion of the survey, follow-up interviews were conducted to deepen the understanding of director perceptions. Quantitative data was entered into Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and descriptive statistics were conducted. Qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Results: Fellowship and residency director surveys (n=76) and interviews (n=7) highlighted program components that attributed to program success. While engagement in research was reported as only somewhat important, the other six components examined were rated as either important or very important. Research was not valued as highly as other components due to the nature of fellowship and residency programs and their focus on practical application of didactic components translating to clinical skill enhancement. Components not highlighted by the authors in the survey were then supplied by program directors in interviews: administration time, resident feedback, networking opportunities, rotation through the healthcare continuum, the opportunity to assist with teaching in an entry level program, and consistent feedback from mentors. Three themes emerged from interview data: importance of program components, fellow/resident characteristics, and program evaluation/changes. Conclusion: While some differences between occupational therapy fellowship and physical therapy residency programs were found, there were more similar components that contributed to program and participant success. Further research is necessary for the continued development and quality assurance of fellowship and residency programs

Recent advances in serum biomarkers for risk stratification and patient management in cardio-oncology

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Following significant advancements in cancer therapeutics and survival, the risk of cancer therapy-related cardiotoxicity (CTRC) is increasingly recognized. With ongoing efforts to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in cancer patients and survivors, cardiac biomarkers have been studied for both risk stratification and monitoring during and after therapy to detect subclinical disease. This article will review the utility for biomarker use throughout the cancer care continuum. RECENT FINDINGS: A recent meta-analysis shows utility for troponin in monitoring patients at risk for CTRC during cancer therapy. The role for natriuretic peptides is less clear but may be useful in patients receiving proteasome inhibitors. Early studies explore use of myeloperoxidase, growth differentiation factor 15, galectin 3, micro-RNA, and others as novel biomarkers in CTRC. Biomarkers have potential to identify subclinical CTRC and may reveal opportunities for early intervention. Further research is needed to elucidate optimal biomarkers and surveillance strategies

Instrument-model refinement in normalized reciprocal-vector space for X-ray Laue diffraction

A simple yet efficient instrument-model refinement method for X-ray diffraction data is presented and discussed. The method is based on least-squares minimization of differences between respective normalized (i.e. unit length) reciprocal vectors computed for adjacent frames. The approach was primarily designed to work with synchrotron X-ray Laue diffraction data collected for small-molecule single-crystal samples. The method has been shown to work well on both simulated and experimental data. Tests performed on simulated data sets for small-molecule and protein crystals confirmed the validity of the proposed instrument-model refinement approach. Finally, examination of data sets collected at both BioCARS 14-ID-B (Advanced Photon Source) and ID09 (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility) beamlines indicated that the approach is capable of retrieving goniometer parameters (e.g. detector distance or primary X-ray beam centre) reliably, even when their initial estimates are rather inaccurate. Keywords: data processing; Laue diffraction; instrument models; refinement; X-ray diffraction

Vegetable nitrate intake, blood pressure and incident cardiovascular disease: Danish diet, cancer, and health study

Whether the vascular effects of inorganic nitrate, observed in clinical trials, translate to a reduction in cardiovascular disease (CVD) with habitual dietary nitrate intake in prospective studies warrants investigation. We aimed to determine if vegetable nitrate, the major dietary nitrate source, is associated with lower blood pressure (BP) and lower risk of incident CVD. Among 53,150 participants of the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Study, without CVD at baseline, vegetable nitrate intake was assessed using a comprehensive vegetable nitrate database. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using restricted cubic splines based on multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models. During 23 years of follow-up, 14,088 cases of incident CVD were recorded. Participants in the highest vegetable nitrate intake quintile (median, 141 mg/day) had 2.58 mmHg lower baseline systolic BP (95%CI − 3.12, − 2.05) and 1.38 mmHg lower diastolic BP (95%CI − 1.66, − 1.10), compared with participants in the lowest quintile. Vegetable nitrate intake was inversely associated with CVD plateauing at moderate intakes (~ 60 mg/day); this appeared to be mediated by systolic BP (21.9%). Compared to participants in the lowest intake quintile (median, 23 mg/day), a moderate vegetable nitrate intake (median, 59 mg/day) was associated with 15% lower risk of CVD [HR (95% CI) 0.85 (0.82, 0.89)]. Moderate vegetable nitrate intake was associated with 12%, 15%, 17% and 26% lower risk of ischemic heart disease, heart failure, ischemic stroke and peripheral artery disease hospitalizations respectively. Consumption of at least ~ 60 mg/day of vegetable nitrate (~ 1 cup of green leafy vegetables) may mitigate risk of CVD

FDG-PET/MRI for nonoperative management of rectal cancer: A prospective pilot study

Nonoperative management (NOM) is increasingly utilized for rectal cancer patients with a clinical complete response (cCR) following total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT). The objective of this pilot study was to determine whether FDG-PET/MRI alters clinical response assessments among stage I-III rectal cancer patients undergoing TNT followed by NOM, relative to MRI alone. This prospective study included 14 subjects with new rectal cancer diagnoses. Imaging consisted of FDG-PET/MRI for initial staging, post-TNT restaging, and surveillance during NOM. Two independent readers assessed treatment response on MRI followed by FDG-PET/MRI. Inter-reader differences were resolved by consensus review. The reference standard for post-TNT restaging consisted of surgical pathology or clinical follow-up. 7/14 subjects completed post-TNT restaging FDG-PET/MRIs. 5/7 subjects had evidence of residual disease and underwent total mesorectal excision; 2/7 subjects had initial cCR with no evidence of disease after 12 months of NOM. FDG-PET/MRI assessments of cCR status at post-TNT restaging had an accuracy of 100%, compared with 71% for MRI alone, as FDG-PET detected residual tumor in 2 more subjects. Inter-reader agreement for cCR status on FDG-PET/MRI was moderate (kappa, 0.56). FDG-PET provided added value in 82% (9/11) of restaging/surveillance scans. Our preliminary data indicate that FDG-PET/MRI can detect more residual disease after TNT than MRI alone, with the FDG-PET component providing added value in most restaging/surveillance scans

LifeGene : a large prospective population-based study of global relevance

Studying gene-environment interactions requires that the amount and quality of the lifestyle data is comparable to what is available for the corresponding genomic data. Sweden has several crucial prerequisites for comprehensive longitudinal biomedical research, such as the personal identity number, the universally available national health care system, continuously updated population and health registries and a scientifically motivated population. LifeGene builds on these strengths to bridge the gap between basic research and clinical applications with particular attention to populations, through a unique design in a research-friendly setting. LifeGene is designed both as a prospective cohort study and an infrastructure with repeated contacts of study participants approximately every 5 years. Index persons aged 18-45 years old will be recruited and invited to include their household members (partner and any children). A comprehensive questionnaire addressing cutting-edge research questions will be administered through the web with short follow-ups annually. Biosamples and physical measurements will also be collected at baseline, and re-administered every 5 years thereafter. Event-based sampling will be a key feature of LifeGene. The household-based design will give the opportunity to involve young couples prior to and during pregnancy, allowing for the first study of children born into cohort with complete pre-and perinatal data from both the mother and father. Questions and sampling schemes will be tailored to the participants' age and life events. The target of LifeGene is to enroll 500,000 Swedes and follow them longitudinally for at least 20 years.Stockholm County CouncilVetenskapsrådetKarolinska InstitutetTorsten and Ragnar Söderbergs FoundationAFA FörsäkringarManuscrip

Modulation of the virus-receptor interaction by mutations in the V5 loop of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) following in vivo escape from neutralising antibody

<b>BACKGROUND:</b> In the acute phase of infection with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), the virus targets activated CD4+ T cells by utilising CD134 (OX40) as a primary attachment receptor and CXCR4 as a co-receptor. The nature of the virus-receptor interaction varies between isolates; strains such as GL8 and CPGammer recognise a "complex" determinant on CD134 formed by cysteine-rich domains (CRDs) 1 and 2 of the molecule while strains such as PPR and B2542 require a more "simple" determinant comprising CRD1 only for infection. These differences in receptor recognition manifest as variations in sensitivity to receptor antagonists. In this study, we ask whether the nature of the virus-receptor interaction evolves in vivo.<p></p> <b>RESULTS:</b> Following infection with a homogeneous viral population derived from a pathogenic molecular clone, a quasispecies emerged comprising variants with distinct sensitivities to neutralising antibody and displaying evidence of conversion from a "complex" to a "simple" interaction with CD134. Escape from neutralising antibody was mediated primarily by length and sequence polymorphisms in the V5 region of Env, and these alterations in V5 modulated the virus-receptor interaction as indicated by altered sensitivities to antagonism by both anti-CD134 antibody and soluble CD134.<p></p> <b>CONCLUSIONS:</b> The FIV-receptor interaction evolves under the selective pressure of the host humoral immune response, and the V5 loop contributes to the virus-receptor interaction. Our data are consistent with a model whereby viruses with distinct biological properties are present in early versus late infection and with a shift from a "complex" to a "simple" interaction with CD134 with time post-infection.<p></p&gt