Citrus trade liberalization with Japan

trade liberalization, Japan, citrus, Agribusiness, International Relations/Trade,

Investigation of Color Appearance Using the Psychophysical Method of Adjustment and Complex Pictoral Images

A technique was developed and tested for generating CRT image reproductions that matched the color-appearance of print originals. Five observers matched two scenes using a memory matching technique. Observers were able to produce accurate matches when originals and reproductions were viewed at the same white point. Observers matched the reproduction at 6500K to originals viewed at 9300K and at 3000K. These matches were compared to the predictions of various color appearance models using a paired-comparison technique in a second psychophysical experiment. The observermatched images were found to be equal or superior to all predictions of the models tested

Clinical Associations with Immature Breathing in Preterm Infants. Part 2: Periodic Breathing

Background: Periodic breathing (PB) is a normal immature breathing pattern in neonates that, if extreme, may be associated with pathologic conditions. Methods: We used our automated PB detection system to analyze all bedside monitor chest impedance data on all infants \u3c 35 wk\u27 gestation in the University of Virginia Neonatal Intensive Care Unit from 2009-2014 (n = 1,211). Percent time spent in PB was calculated hourly ( \u3e 50 infant-years\u27 data). Extreme PB was identified as a 12-h period with PB \u3e 6 SDs above the mean for gestational age (GA) and postmenstrual age and \u3e 10% time in PB. Results: PB increased with GA, with the highest amount in infants 30-33 wk\u27 GA at about 2 wk\u27 chronologic age. Extreme PB was identified in 76 infants and in 45% was temporally associated with clinical events including infection or necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), immunizations, or caffeine discontinuation. In 8 out of 28 cases of septicemia and 10 out of 21 cases of NEC, there was a \u3e 2-fold increase in %PB over baseline on the day prior to diagnosis. Conclusion: Infants \u3c 35 wk GA spend, on average, \u3c 6% of the time in PB. An acute increase in PB may reflect illness or physiological stressors or may occur without any apparent clinical event

Clinical Associations of Immature Breathing in Preterm Infants. Part 1: Central Apnea

Background: Apnea of prematurity (AOP) is nearly universal among very preterm infants, but neither the apnea burden nor its clinical associations have been systematically studied in a large consecutive cohort. Methods: We analyzed continuous bedside monitor chest impedance and electrocardiographic waveforms and oxygen saturation data collected on all neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients \u3c35 wk gestation from 2009 to 2014 (n = 1,211; \u3e50 infant-years of data). Apneas, with bradycardia and desaturation (ABDs), defined as central apnea ≥10 s associated with both bradycardia \u3c100 bpm and oxygen desaturation \u3c80%, were identified using a validated automated algorithm. Results: Number and duration of apnea events decreased with increasing gestational age (GA) and postmenstrual age (PMA). ABDs were more frequent in infants \u3c31 wk GA at birth but were not more frequent in those with severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), or severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) after accounting for GA. In the day before diagnosis of late-onset septicemia and necrotizing enterocolitis, ABD events were increased in some infants. Many infants continued to experience short ABD events in the week prior to discharge home. Conclusion: Frequency of apnea events is a function of GA and PMA in infants born preterm, and increased apnea is associated with acute but not with chronic pathologic conditions

Quantification of Periodic Breathing in Premature Infants

Periodic breathing (PB), regular cycles of short apneic pauses and breaths, is common in newborn infants. To characterize normal and potentially pathologic PB, we used our automated apnea detection system and developed a novel method for quantifying PB. We identified a preterm infant who died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and who, on review of her breathing pattern while in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), had exaggerated PB. We analyzed the chest impedance signal for short apneic pauses and developed a wavelet transform method to identify repetitive 10-40 second cycles of apnea/breathing. Clinical validation was performed to distinguish PB from apnea clusters and determine the wavelet coefficient cutoff having optimum diagnostic utility. We applied this method to analyze the chest impedance signals throughout the entire NICU stays of all 70 infants born at 32 weeks\u27 gestation admitted over a two-and-a-half year period. This group includes an infant who died of SIDS and her twin. For infants of 32 weeks\u27 gestation, the fraction of time spent in PB peaks 7-14 d after birth at 6.5%. During that time the infant that died of SIDS spent 40% of each day in PB and her twin spent 15% of each day in PB. This wavelet transform method allows quantification of normal and potentially pathologic PB in NICU patients

FDG-PET Quantification of Lung Inflammation with Image-Derived Blood Input Function in Mice

Dynamic FDG-PET imaging was used to study inflammation in lungs of mice following administration of a virulent strain of Klebsiella (K.) pneumoniae. Net whole-lung FDG influx constant (Ki) was determined in a compartment model using an image-derived blood input function. Methods. K. pneumoniae (~3 x 105 CFU) was intratracheally administered to six mice with 6 other mice serving as controls. Dynamic FDG-PET and X-Ray CT scans were acquired 24 hr after K. pneumoniae administration. The experimental lung time activity curves were fitted to a 3-compartment FDG model to obtain Ki. Following imaging, lungs were excised and immunohistochemistry analysis was done to assess the relative presence of neutrophils and macrophages. Results. Mean Ki for control and K. pneumoniae infected mice were (5.1 ± 1.2) ×10−3 versus (11.4 ± 2.0) ×10−3 min−1, respectively, revealing a 2.24 fold significant increase (P = 0.0003) in the rate of FDG uptake in the infected lung. Immunohistochemistry revealed that cellular lung infiltrate was almost exclusively neutrophils. Parametric Ki maps by Patlak analysis revealed heterogeneous inflammatory foci within infected lungs. Conclusion. The kinetics of FDG uptake in the lungs of mice can be noninvasively quantified by PET with a 3-compartment model approach based on an image-derived input function

Neighborhood deprivation and association with neonatal intensive care unit mortality and morbidity for extremely premature infants

IMPORTANCE: Socioeconomic status affects pregnancy and neurodevelopment, but its association with hospital outcomes among premature infants is unknown. The Area Deprivation Index (ADI) is a validated measure of neighborhood disadvantage that uses US Census Bureau data on income, educational level, employment, and housing quality. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether ADI is associated with neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) mortality and morbidity in extremely premature infants. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective cohort study was performed at 4 level IV NICUs in the US Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and South regions. Non-Hispanic White and Black infants with gestational age of less than 29 weeks and born between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2020, were included in the analysis. Addresses were converted to census blocks, identified by Federal Information Processing Series codes, to link residences to national ADI percentiles. EXPOSURES: ADI, race, birth weight, sex, and outborn status. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: In the primary outcome, the association between ADI and NICU mortality was analyzed using bayesian logistic regression adjusted for race, birth weight, outborn status, and sex. Risk factors were considered significant if the 95% credible intervals excluded zero. In the secondary outcome, the association between ADI and NICU morbidities, including late-onset sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), were also analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 2765 infants with a mean (SD) gestational age of 25.6 (1.7) weeks and mean (SD) birth weight of 805 (241) g were included in the analysis. Of these, 1391 (50.3%) were boys, 1325 (47.9%) reported Black maternal race, 498 (18.0%) died before NICU discharge, 692 (25.0%) developed sepsis or NEC, and 353 (12.8%) had severe IVH. In univariate analysis, higher median ADI was found among Black compared with White infants (77 [IQR, 45-93] vs 57 [IQR, 32-77]; P \u3c .001), those who died before NICU discharge vs survived (71 [IQR, 45-89] vs 64 [IQR, 36-86]), those with late-onset sepsis or NEC vs those without (68 [IQR, 41-88] vs 64 [IQR, 35-86]), and those with severe IVH vs those without (69 [IQR, 44-90] vs 64 [IQR, 36-86]). In a multivariable bayesian logistic regression model, lower birth weight, higher ADI, and male sex were risk factors for mortality (95% credible intervals excluded zero), while Black race and outborn status were not. The ADI was also identified as a risk factor for sepsis or NEC and severe IVH. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The findings of this cohort study of extremely preterm infants admitted to 4 NICUs in different US geographic regions suggest that ADI was a risk factor for mortality and morbidity after adjusting for multiple covariates

Systematic review and network meta-analysis with individual participant data on cord management at preterm birth (iCOMP): study protocol

Introduction Timing of cord clamping and other cord management strategies may improve outcomes at preterm birth. However, it is unclear whether benefits apply to all preterm subgroups. Previous and current trials compare various policies, including time-based or physiology-based deferred cord clamping, and cord milking. Individual participant data (IPD) enable exploration of different strategies within subgroups. Network meta-analysis (NMA) enables comparison and ranking of all available interventions using a combination of direct and indirect comparisons. Objectives (1) To evaluate the effectiveness of cord management strategies for preterm infants on neonatal mortality and morbidity overall and for different participant characteristics using IPD meta-analysis. (2) To evaluate and rank the effect of different cord management strategies for preterm births on mortality and other key outcomes using NMA. Methods and analysis Systematic searches of Medline, Embase, clinical trial registries, and other sources for all ongoing and completed randomised controlled trials comparing cord management strategies at preterm birth (before 37 weeks’ gestation) have been completed up to 13 February 2019, but will be updated regularly to include additional trials. IPD will be sought for all trials; aggregate summary data will be included where IPD are unavailable. First, deferred clamping and cord milking will be compared with immediate clamping in pairwise IPD meta-analyses. The primary outcome will be death prior to hospital discharge. Effect differences will be explored for prespecified participant subgroups. Second, all identified cord management strategies will be compared and ranked in an IPD NMA for the primary outcome and the key secondary outcomes. Treatment effect differences by participant characteristics will be identified. Inconsistency and heterogeneity will be explored. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval for this project has been granted by the University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee (2018/886). Results will be relevant to clinicians, guideline developers and policy-makers, and will be disseminated via publications, presentations and media releases

Conferencing Otherwise : A Feminist New Materialist Writing Experiment

This article attempts to reconfigure hegemonic framings of "the academic conference" and thereby offer a means to (re-)encounter the spatial, temporal, and affective forces that conferences generate, differently. We are a geographically dispersed but multiply entangled group of academic researchers united by theoretical fault lines within our work that seek to ask what if and what else. This "what if" and "what else" thinking has manifested in experimental and subversive doings otherwise at a series of academic conferences. The storying practices presented in this article were made possible by the vital materialism of a shared google.doc. It was within this virtual environment that we attempted to weave diffractive accounts of what conferencing otherwise produces. This writing experiment offers a series of speculative provocations and counter-provocations to ask what else does conferencing make possible. This article is an invitation to the reader to plunge in and wallow within the speculative accounts which ensue and to contemplate the possibilities of breaking free from sedimented ways of neoliberal conferencing.Peer reviewe