Ectoproct and entoproct type material: Reexamination of species from New England and Bermuda named by A. E. Verrill, J. W. Dawson and E. Desor

A. E. Verrill, J. W. Dawson, and E. Desor named 23 species of North American east coast ectoprocts and entoprocts prior to 1902. Chiefly from lack of illustration, the majority of these have been misunderstood in the literature. We have found material leading to a better understanding of 15 of these species in collections of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, the U.S. National Museum, and the American Museum of Natural History. The following ectoproct species are described (original names): Amathia goodei Verrill, Bugula cucullata Verrill, Bugula decorata Verrill, Bugula flexilis Verrill, Bugula (Caulibugula) armata Verrill, Bugulella fragilis Verrill, Cellularia turrita Desor, Discopora nitida Verrill, Escharina porosa Verrill, Gemellaria willisii Dawson, Hippoporina verrilli Maturo and Schopf, Hippothoa expansa Dawson, Lepralia americana Verrill, Lepralia plana Dawson, Porellina stellata Verrill. One entoproct, Barentsia timida Verrill, is described. The coefficient of variation was determined for standard dimensional features. Data collected support Cheetham\u27s statistical verification that the most useful dimensional features for taxonomic purposes are ovicell length and width, zooid length, and primary orifice length and width. Length of adventitous avicularia and zooid width are the most variable of the traits measured, particularly in encrusting forms which also have extensive secondary calcification

Fundamental characterization of wheat gluten

Vital wheat gluten plays an important role in the food industry, especially in baking to help standardize dough properties and improve bread volume. However, a fundamental characterization of a wide variety of vital gluten samples is not available so far. This would be necessary to relate compositional characteristics to the production process. Therefore, we analyzed the content of crude protein, starch, lipids and ash, oil and water absorption capacity, particle size distribution, gluten protein composition and spectroscopic properties of 39 vital gluten samples from 6 different suppliers. Principle component analysis of all analytical parameters revealed that the samples from one specialized vital gluten manufacturer had a different composition and a greater variability compared to all other samples from wheat starch producers. While the composition of vital gluten samples from the same manufacturer was similar and the score plot showed a cluster formation for samples from three suppliers, the variability over all samples was comparatively low. The samples from the other suppliers were too similar altogether so that it was hardly possible to identify clear differences, also related to functionality

Automatic Segmentation of Dermoscopic Images by Iterative Classification

Accurate detection of the borders of skin lesions is a vital first step for computer aided diagnostic systems. This paper presents a novel automatic approach to segmentation of skin lesions that is particularly suitable for analysis of dermoscopic images. Assumptions about the image acquisition, in particular, the approximate location and color, are used to derive an automatic rule to select small seed regions, likely to correspond to samples of skin and the lesion of interest. The seed regions are used as initial training samples, and the lesion segmentation problem is treated as binary classification problem. An iterative hybrid classification strategy, based on a weighted combination of estimated posteriors of a linear and quadratic classifier, is used to update both the automatically selected training samples and the segmentation, increasing reliability and final accuracy, especially for those challenging images, where the contrast between the background skin and lesion is low

Computer-Aided Decision Support for Melanoma Detection Applied on Melanocytic and Nonmelanocytic Skin Lesions: A Comparison of Two Systems Based on Automatic Analysis of Dermoscopic Images

Commercially available clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) for skin cancer have been designed for the detection of melanoma only. Correct use of the systems requires expert knowledge, hampering their utility for nonexperts. Furthermore, there are no systems to detect other common skin cancer types, that is, nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). As early diagnosis of skin cancer is essential, there is a need for a CDSS that is applicable to all types of skin lesions and is suitable for nonexperts. Nevus Doctor (ND) is a CDSS being developed by the authors. We here investigate ND's ability to detect both melanoma and NMSC and the opportunities for improvement. An independent test set of dermoscopic images of 870 skin lesions, including 44 melanomas and 101 NMSCs, were analysed by ND. Its sensitivity to melanoma and NMSC was compared to that of Mole Expert (ME), a commercially available CDSS, using the same set of lesions. ND and ME had similar sensitivity to melanoma. For ND at 95 percent melanoma sensitivity, the NMSC sensitivity was 100 percent, and the specificity was 12 percent. The melanomas misclassified by ND at 95 percent sensitivity were correctly classified by ME, and vice versa. ND is able to detect NMSC without sacrificing melanoma sensitivity

Randomized trial of a novel game-based appointment system for a university hospital venereology unit: Study protocol

Background: Chlamydia is the most common reportable sexually transmitted disease (STD) in Norway, and its incidence in the two northernmost counties has been disclosed to be nearly the double of the Norwegian average. The latest publicly available rates showed that 85.6% of the new cases were diagnosed in people under 29 years old. The information and communication technologies are among the most powerful influences in the lives of young people. The Internet can potentially represent a way to educate on sexual health and encourage young people, and especially youth, to be tested for STDs. If hospital websites include an easy and anonymous system for scheduling appointments with the clinic, it is possible that this could lead to an increase in the number of people tested for STDs. Methods: The purpose of the study is to assess the impact of a game-based appointment system on the frequency of consultations at a venereology unit and on the use of an educational web app. An A/B testing methodology is used. Users from the city of Tromsø, in North Norway, will be randomized to one of the two versions of the game-style web app on sexual health at www.sjekkdeg.no. Group A will have access to educational content only, while group B will have, in addition, access to a game-based appointment system with automatic prioritization. After one year of the trial, it will be analyzed if the game-based appointment system increases the number of consultations at the venereology unit and if health professionals deem the system useful. Discussion: This study will explore if facilitating the access to health services for youth through the use of a game-based appointment system integrated in a game-style web app on sexual health education can have an impact on appointment rates

Quality of life and surgical outcome of ABBA versus EndoCATS endoscopic thyroid surgery: a single center experience

BACKGROUND Thyroid surgery is often performed, especially in young female patients. As patient satisfaction become more and more important, different extra-cervical \textquotedblremote\textquotedbl approaches have evolved to avoid visible scars in the neck for better cosmetic outcome. The most common remote approaches are the transaxillary and retroauricular. Aim of this work is to compare Endoscopic Cephalic Access Thyroid Surgery (EndoCATS) and axillo-bilateral-breast approach (ABBA) to standard open procedures regarding perioperative outcome and in addition to control cohorts regarding quality of life (QoL) and patient satisfaction. METHODS In a single center, 59 EndoCATS und 52 ABBA procedures were included out of a 2 years period and compared to 225 open procedures using propensity-score matching. For the endoscopic procedures, cosmetic outcome, patient satisfaction and QoL (SF-12 questionnaire) were examined in prospective follow-up. For QoL a German standard cohort and non-surgically patients with thyroid disease were used as controls. RESULT The overall perioperative outcome was similar for all endoscopic compared to open thyroid surgeries. Surgical time was longer for endoscopic procedures. There were no cases of permanent hypoparathyroidism and no significant differences regarding temporary or permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsies between open and ABBA or EndoCATS procedures (χ2; p = 0.893 and 0.840). For ABBA and EndoCATS, 89.6% and 94.2% of patients were satisfied with the surgical procedure. Regarding QoL, there was an overall significant difference in distribution for physical, but not for mental health between groups (p < 0.001 and 0.658). Both endoscopic groups performed slightly worse regarding physical health, but without significant difference between the individual groups in post hoc multiple comparison. CONCLUSION Endoscopic thyroid surgery is safe with comparable perioperative outcome in experienced high-volume centers. Patient satisfaction and cosmetic results are excellent; QoL is impaired in surgical patients, as they perform slightly worse compared to German standard cohort and non-surgical patients

Patients with Intolerance Reactions to Total Knee Replacement: Combined Assessment of Allergy Diagnostics, Periprosthetic Histology, and Peri-implant Cytokine Expression Pattern

We performed a combined approach to identify suspected allergy to knee arthroplasty (TKR): patch test (PT), lymphocyte transformation test (LTT), histopathology (overall grading; T- and B-lymphocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils), and semiquantitative Real-time-PCR-based periprosthetic inflammatory mediator analysis (IFN gamma, TNF alpha, IL1-beta, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL17, and TGF beta). We analyzed 25 TKR patients with yet unexplained complications like pain, effusion, and reduced range of motion. They consisted of 20 patients with proven metal sensitization (11 with PT reactions;9 with only LTT reactivity). Control specimens were from 5 complicated TKR patients without metal sensitization, 12 OA patients before arthroplasty, and 8 PT patients without arthroplasty. Lymphocytic infiltrates were seen and fibrotic (Type IV membrane) tissue response was most frequent in the metal sensitive patients, for example, in 81% of the PT positive patients. The latter also had marked periprosthetic IFN gamma expression. 8/9 patients with revision surgery using Ti-coated/oxinium based implants reported symptom relief. Our findings demonstrate that combining allergy diagnostics with histopathology and periprosthetic cytokine assessment could allow us to design better diagnostic strategies

An interleukin-1 polymorphism additionally intensified by atopy as prognostic factor for aseptic non-mechanical complications in metal knee and hip arthroplasty

Background: In contrast to infection or mechanical issues joint replacement failure following inflammatory adverse reactions is poorly understood. Objective: To assess the association of IL-1β polymorphisms and history of allergy with aseptic non-mechanical complications following arthroplasty. Methods: In 102 patients with aseptic non-mechanically caused symptomatic knee or hip arthroplasty (SA) and 93 patients with asymptomatic arthroplasty (AA) questionnaire-based history, patch test with at least standard series, lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) with nickel, cobalt and chromium and interleukin-1 polymorphism analysis were done. Three polymorphisms of the IL1B gene [IL-1b -3954 (rs1143634), IL-1b -511 (rs16944) and IL-1b -31 (rs1143627)] and one polymorphism of the IL1RN gene [IL1RN intron 2, variable number of tandem repeats, VNTR (rs2234663)] were assessed by PCR and gel electrophoresis. Results: We found no significant difference in smoking history and atopy but 25% versus 10% of self-reported metal allergy in SA versus AA; the patch test (respective, LTT) for metal sensitivity was more often positive in SA patients. The allele 498 bp of the IL1RN polymorphism occurred significantly more often in the SA group (37% versus 11%; p < 0.0001). Upon additional presence of atopy, the difference was even greater (60% vs 10%) (p < 0.000001). There was no association of IL-1 polymorphisms with metal allergy. Conclusion: The IL1RN VNTR allele 498 bp was strongly associated with SA. In patients with a history of atopy, presence of the IL1RN VNTR allele 498 bp led to a four-fold higher SA prevalence compared to patients without this allele