The Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new virus that has not been detected in humans before. The virus causes a respiratory illness like the flu with various ...symptoms such as cough or fever that, in severe cases, may cause pneumonia. The COVID-19 spreads so quickly between people, affecting to 1,200,000 people worldwide at the time of writing this paper (April 2020). Due to the number of contagious and deaths are continually growing day by day, the aim of this study is to develop a quick method to detect COVID-19 in chest X-ray images using deep learning techniques. For this purpose, an object detection architecture is proposed, trained and tested with a public available dataset composed with 1500 images of non-infected patients and infected with COVID-19 and pneumonia. The main goal of our method is to classify the patient status either negative or positive COVID-19 case. In our experiments using SDD300 model we achieve a 94.92% of sensibility and 92.00% of specificity in COVID-19 detection, demonstrating the usefulness application of deep learning models to classify COVID-19 in X-ray images. KEYWORDS COVID-19, Deep Learning, Object Detection, X-ray.
Over the past few years, new-generation cell-based assays have demonstrated a robust association of autoantibodies to full-length human myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG-IgG) with (mostly ...recurrent) optic neuritis, myelitis and brainstem encephalitis, as well as with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)-like presentations. Most experts now consider MOG-IgG-associated encephalomyelitis (MOG-EM) a disease entity in its own right, immunopathogenetically distinct from both classic multiple sclerosis (MS) and aquaporin-4 (AQP4)-IgG-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD). Owing to a substantial overlap in clinicoradiological presentation, MOG-EM was often unwittingly misdiagnosed as MS in the past. Accordingly, increasing numbers of patients with suspected or established MS are currently being tested for MOG-IgG. However, screening of large unselected cohorts for rare biomarkers can significantly reduce the positive predictive value of a test. To lessen the hazard of overdiagnosing MOG-EM, which may lead to inappropriate treatment, more selective criteria for MOG-IgG testing are urgently needed. In this paper, we propose indications for MOG-IgG testing based on expert consensus. In addition, we give a list of conditions atypical for MOG-EM ("red flags") that should prompt physicians to challenge a positive MOG-IgG test result. Finally, we provide recommendations regarding assay methodology, specimen sampling and data interpretation.
This paper presents an automatic system for the quality control of metallic components using a photometric stereo-based sensor and a customized semantic segmentation network. This system is designed ...based on interoperable modules, and allows capturing the knowledge of the operators to apply it later in automatic defect detection. A salient contribution is the compact representation of the surface information achieved by combining photometric stereo images into a RGB image that is fed to a convolutional segmentation network trained for surface defect detection. We demonstrate the advantage of this compact surface imaging representation over the use of each photometric imaging source of information in isolation. An empirical analysis of the performance of the segmentation network on imaging samples of materials with diverse surface reflectance properties is carried out, achieving Dice performance index values above 0.83 in all cases. The results support the potential of photometric stereo in conjunction with our semantic segmentation network.
Objectives
To investigate the prevalence and associated psychosocial factors of occasional and repetitive direct self‐injurious behavior (D‐SIB), such as self‐cutting, ‐burning, ‐biting, ‐hitting, ...and skin damage by other methods, in representative adolescent samples from 11 European countries.
Methods
Cross‐sectional assessment of adolescents was performed within the European Union funded project, Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE), which was conducted in 11 European countries. The representative sample comprised 12,068 adolescents (F/M: 6,717/5,351; mean age: 14.9 ± 0.89) recruited from randomly selected schools. Frequency of D‐SIB was assessed by a modified 6‐item questionnaire based on previously used versions of the Deliberate Self‐Harm Inventory (DSHI). In addition, a broad range of demographic, social, and psychological factors was assessed.
Results
Overall lifetime prevalence of D‐SIB was 27.6%; 19.7% reported occasional D‐SIB and 7.8% repetitive D‐SIB. Lifetime prevalence ranged from 17.1% to 38.6% across countries. Estonia, France, Germany, and Israel had the highest lifetime rates of D‐SIB, while students from Hungary, Ireland, and Italy reported low rates. Suicidality as well as anxiety and depressive symptoms had the highest odds ratios for both occasional and repetitive D‐SIB. There was a strong association of D‐SIB with both psychopathology and risk‐behaviors, including family related neglect and peer‐related rejection/victimization. Associations between psychosocial variables and D‐SIB were strongly influenced by both gender and country. Only a minor proportion of the adolescents who reported D‐SIB ever received medical treatment.
Conclusion
These results suggest high lifetime prevalence of D‐SIB in European adolescents. Prevalence as well as psychosocial correlates seems to be significantly influenced by both gender and country. These results support the need for a multidimensional approach to better understand the development of SIB and facilitate culturally adapted prevention/intervention.
Aims
To investigate the prevalence of pathological internet use (PIU) and maladaptive internet use (MIU) among adolescents in 11 European countries in relation to demographic, social factors and ...internet accessibility.
Design
Cross‐sectional survey.
Setting
The 7th Framework European Union (EU) funded project, Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE), is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating interventions for risk behaviours among adolescents in Austria, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Romania, Slovenia and Spain, with Sweden serving as the coordinating centre.
Participants
A total of 11 956 adolescents (female/male: 6731/5225; mean age: 14.9 ± 0.89) recruited from randomly selected schools within the 11 study sites.
Measurements
Internet users were classified by gender into three categories: adaptive, maladaptive and pathological, based on their score in the Young Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction (YDQ).
Findings
The overall prevalence of PIU was 4.4%; it was higher among males than females (5.2% versus 3.8%) and differed between countries (χ2 = 309.98; d.f. = 20; P < 0.001). PIU correlated significantly with mean hours online and male gender. The highest‐ranked online activities were watching videos, frequenting chatrooms and social networking; significantly higher rates of playing single‐user games were found in males and social networking in females. Living in metropolitan areas was associated with PIU. Students not living with a biological parent, low parental involvement and parental unemployment showed the highest relative risks of both MIU and PIU.
Conclusions
Across a range of countries in Europe, using the Young Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction yields a prevalence of ‘pathological internet use’ of 4.4% among adolescents, but varies by country and gender; adolescents lacking emotional and psychological support are at highest risk.
Background
The association between bullying victimization and depression, suicide ideation and suicide attempts has been studied mainly in cross‐sectional studies. This study aims to test the ...bidirectional effect and the chronicity versus sporadic effect of physical, verbal, and relational bullying victimization on suicidal ideation/attempts and depression.
Methods
Longitudinal assessments with an interval of 3‐ and 12‐months were performed within a sample of 2,933 adolescents (56.1% females; mean age 14.78, SD = .89) from 10 European countries, participating in the Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE) school‐based multicenter control sample. Multilevel Structural Equation Models were used, controlling for sociodemographic variables. Victimization was considered chronic when a student was victimized in the first two time points and sporadic when it was reported only at one point but not in another.
Results
Bidirectional prospective association between all types of victimization and depression were found. Among participants, who reported victimization once (but not twice), physical victimization, but not verbal and relational, was associated with later suicidal ideation and attempts. Chronic victimization of any type increased likelihood for later depression compared with sporadic and no‐victimization. Chronic relational victimization increased the likelihood of later suicidal ideation, and chronic physical victimization increased the likelihood for suicidal attempts.
Conclusions
The results support the bidirectional effect of victimization and depression and indicate that there are complex longitudinal associations between victimization and suicidal ideation/attempts. Physical victimization may especially carry effect on suicidal risk over time. Interventions should focus on victimization as a cause of distress but also aim to prevent vulnerable adolescents from becoming targets of victimization.
γ-Aminobutyric acid-B receptor antibodies (GABA(B)R-ab) were recently described in 15 patients with limbic encephalitis (LE), associated with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) or with concurrent glutamic ...acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies. We analyzed the frequency of GABA(B)R-ab in 147 patients with LE or neurologic syndromes associated with GAD-ab.
We examined the presence of GABA(B)R-ab in 70 patients with LE (33 paraneoplastic with onconeural antibodies, 18 paraneoplastic without onconeural antibodies 5 with Gad-ab, and 19 idiopathic with either GAD-ab 5 patients or seronegative) and 77 patients with GAD-ab-associated neurologic syndromes other than LE (29 stiff-person syndrome, 28 cerebellar ataxia, 14 epilepsy, and 6 with diverse paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes). GABA(B)R-ab were analyzed in serum or CSF by indirect immunofluorescence on HEK293 cells transfected with GABA(B1) and GABA(B2) receptor subunits.
GABA(B)R-ab were detected in 10 of the 70 patients with LE (14%). Eight had SCLC and 2 were idiopathic. One of the 8 patients with LE with SCLC had an additional onconeural antibody (Hu) and 2 GAD-ab. GABA(B)R-ab were identified in 7 (70%) of the 10 patients with LE and SCLC without onconeural antibodies. GABA(B)R-ab antibodies were not found in patients with GAD-ab and stiff-person syndrome, idiopathic cerebellar ataxia, or epilepsy. However, one patient with GAD-ab, paraneoplastic cerebellar ataxia, and anaplastic carcinoid of the thymus also presented GABA(B)R-ab.
GABA(B)R-ab are the most common antibodies found in LE associated with SCLC previously considered "seronegative." In patients with GAD-ab, the frequency of GABA(B)R-ab is low and only observed in the context of cancer.
evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to prevent frailty is scarce.
to assess the effect of an intervention in preventing frailty progression in pre-frail older people.
a randomised, open ...label, controlled trial with two parallel arms.
community-dwelling pre-frail older people (≥70 years) consulting in primary care.
nutritional assessment (and derivation to a Nutritional Unit for usual care in the event of nutritional risk) and a physical activity programme including aerobic exercise and a set of mixed strengthening, balance and coordination exercises.
patients receiving the usual care.
prevalence of frailty (Fried criteria) at 12 months.
functional capacity (Barthel index), falls and nutritional status (Short-Form Mini Nutritional Assessment) on follow-up at 12 months.
one hundred and seventy-two participants were recruited and randomised (mean age: 78.3 years; mean number of Fried criteria: 1.45). Thirty-nine participants (22.6%) were dropped out during the study. At follow-up, 4.9% of the intervention group and 15.3% of the control group had evolved to frailty, for a crude odds ratio (OR) of 0.29 (95% confidence interval CI: 0.08-1.08; P = 0.052) and an adjusted (by age, gender and number of co-morbidities) OR of 0.19 (95% CI: 0.04-0.95; P = 0.044). Intervention group showed a higher outdoors walking hour per day (0.97 versus 0.73; P = 0.019) but no difference was observed in muscle strength, gait speed or other functional indicators.
an intervention focused on physical exercise and maintaining good nutritional status may be effective in preventing frailty in community-dwelling pre-frail older individuals.
NCT02138968.
Studies evaluating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on public healthcare systems are limited, particularly in cancer management. As no such studies have been carried out in Spain, our objective ...is to describe and quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer patients in Spanish hospitals during the first wave of the pandemic.
This retrospective, multicenter, nationwide study collected information from hospital departments treating oncology patients. An electronic questionnaire comparing outcomes and management of oncohematological patients for the March-June 2019 and March-June 2020 periods was used.
Information from 78 departments (36 tertiary hospitals) was analyzed. Forty-four departments implemented adapted protocols during March 2020. Most of these (n = 38/44; 86.4%) carried out COVID-19 triage, while 26 of 44 (59.1%) carried out onsite polymerase chain reaction tests for clinically suspected cases. A shift from in-person to telephone visits was observed in 43 of 44 (97.7%) departments. Comparing the March-June 2019 and March-June 2020 periods, the number of new patients decreased by 20.8% (from 160.2 to 126.4). Decreases were also seen in the mean number of total (2858.2 versus 1686.1) and cancer (465.5 versus 367.2) biopsies, as well as the mean number of bone marrow biopsies (30.5 versus 18.6). Concerning the number of patients visiting specific cancer care departments, a decrease from 2019 to 2020 was seen for mean number of chemotherapy treatments (712.7 versus 643.8) and radiation therapy (2169.9 versus 2139.9). Finally, a reduction from 2019 to 2020 of 12.9% (from 8.6 to 7.4) in the mean number of patients included in clinical trials was noted.
This study provides the first comprehensive data concerning the impact of COVID-19 on cancer care in Spain. The pandemic caused a 20.8% decrease in newly diagnosed patients, which may impact future outcomes. Measures must be taken to ensure cancer management receives priority in times of healthcare emergencies.
•The number of new cancer patients decreased 20.8%•Assistance protocols were adapted•Inclusion in clinical trials decreased by 12.9%
Injection of iodine to the stratosphere Saiz-Lopez, A.; Baidar, S.; Cuevas, C. A. ...
Geophysical research letters,
28 August 2015, Letnik:
42, Številka:
16
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
We report a new estimation of the injection of iodine into the stratosphere based on novel daytime (solar zenith angle < 45°) aircraft observations in the tropical tropopause layer and a global ...atmospheric model with the most recent knowledge about iodine photochemistry. The results indicate that significant levels of total reactive iodine (0.25–0.7 parts per trillion by volume), between 2 and 5 times larger than the accepted upper limits, can be injected into the stratosphere via tropical convective outflow. At these iodine levels, modeled iodine catalytic cycles account for up to 30% of the contemporary ozone loss in the tropical lower stratosphere and can exert a stratospheric ozone depletion potential equivalent to, or even larger than, that of very short‐lived bromocarbons. Therefore, we suggest that iodine sources and chemistry need to be considered in assessments of the historical and future evolution of the stratospheric ozone layer.
Key Points
Injection of iodine to the stratosphere can be 2 to 5 times larger than accepted upper limits
Iodine catalytic cycles could account for up to 30% of ozone loss in the tropical lower stratosphere
Iodine‐mediated depletion of stratospheric ozone can be comparable to that of VSL bromocarbons
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