Cytological samples obtained by endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) are capital for diagnosis, staging and molecular profile in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).
To assess the success rate of ...complete, partial and individual of molecular analysis in samples obtained by EBUS-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) and/or by oesophageal ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration with an echobronchoscope (EUS-B-FNA) in patients with NSCLC.
Prospective study including 90 patients with non-squamous NSCLC, or non-smoking squamous. Cytological samples were classified into two groups. Group 1: PEN membrane slide and/or cell blocks for the determination of mutations of EGFR, KRAS, ERBB2 and BRAF. Group 2: silane coated slides or cell blocks for rearrangements of ALK, ROS1 and MET amplification.
The success rate was 78.6% for 4 molecular alterations (EGFR, KRAS, ALK and ROS1), and 44% for 7 determinations. The individual success rate for EGFR was 97%, KRAS 96.3%, ALK 85%, ROS1 82.3%, ERBB2 71.4%, BRAF 67.7% and MET 81.1%. There were no significant differences (p=0.489) in the number of molecular analyses (1–3 vs. 4) in group 1, depending on the types of samples (cell block vs. PEN membrane slide vs. cell block and PEN membrane slide).
In patients with NSCLC, the cytological material obtained by ultrasound-guided needle aspiration is sufficient for individual and partial molecular analysis in the vast majority of cases. Membrane slides such as cell blocks are valid samples for molecular analysis.
•An approach to model water condensation in the bulk flow of humid air is developed.•The model is implemented in a 3D CFD commercial code (Star-CCM+).•The model increases the computational effort of ...simulating pure air by 20%.•The implementation is verified against a 0D, perfect-mixing model.•The model is used in a practical example of EGR mixing, showing its potential.
Bulk flow condensation caused by the mixing of air streams at different temperatures and humidities is a thermodynamic process that requires strong assumptions to be calculated with low computational effort. The applicability of a model that correctly predicts this phenomenon has grown recently due in part to the deployment of the Long Route Exhaust Gas Recirculation emission reduction technique in combustion engines and the damage to the turbocharger caused by the condensation produced when the intake air is mixed with the combustion gases. This work is addressed to expose a condensation model that is implemented in a commercial 3D-CFD code and is then verified, checking whether the implemented physical equations are behaving as intended. Finally, a practical application is made, showing the potential of model to predict water condensation in a LR-EGR T-joint.
Objective
Orthostatic tremor (OT) is an extremely rare, misdiagnosed, and underdiagnosed disorder affecting adults in midlife. There is debate as to whether it is a different condition or a variant ...of essential tremor (ET), or even, if both conditions coexist. Our objective was to use data mining classification methods, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐derived brain volume and cortical thickness data, to identify morphometric measures that help to discriminate OT patients from those with ET.
Methods
MRI‐derived brain volume and cortical thickness were obtained from 14 OT patients and 15 age‐, sex‐, and education‐matched ET patients. Feature selection and machine learning methods were subsequently applied.
Results
Four MRI features alone distinguished the two, OT from ET, with 100% diagnostic accuracy. More specifically, left thalamus proper volume (normalized by the total intracranial volume), right superior parietal volume, right superior parietal thickness, and right inferior parietal roughness (i.e., the standard deviation of cortical thickness) were shown to play a key role in OT and ET characterization. Finally, the left caudal anterior cingulate thickness and the left caudal middle frontal roughness allowed us to separate with 100% diagnostic accuracy subgroups of OT patients (primary and those with mild parkinsonian signs).
Conclusions
A data mining approach applied to MRI‐derived brain volume and cortical thickness data may differentiate between these two types of tremor with an accuracy of 100%. Our results suggest that OT and ET are distinct conditions.
We present observations of the most radio-luminous broad absorption-line (BAL) quasar known, 1624+3758, at redshift z= 3.377. The quasar has several unusual properties. (1) The Fe ii UV191 1787-Å ...emission line is very prominent. (2) The BAL trough (BALnicity index 2990 km s−1) is detached by 21 000 km s−1 and extends to velocity υ=−29 000 km s−1. There are additional intrinsic absorbers at −1900 and −2800 km s−1. (3) The radio rotation measure of the quasar, 18 350 rad m−2, is the second highest known. The radio luminosity is P1.4 GHz= 4.3 × 1027 W Hz−1 (H0= 50 km s−1 Mpc−1, q0= 0.5) and the radio loudness is R*= 260. The radio source is compact and the radio spectrum is GHz-peaked, consistent with it being relatively young. The width of the C iv emission line, in conjunction with the total optical luminosity, implies a black hole mass MBH~109 M⊙, L/LEddington≈ 2. The high Eddington ratio and the radio-loudness place this quasar in one corner of Boroson's two-component scheme for the classification of active galactic nuclei, implying a very high accretion rate, and this may account for some of the unusual observed properties. The υ=−1900 km s−1 absorber is a possible Lyman-limit system, with N(H i) = 4 × 1018 cm−2, and a covering factor of 0.7. A complex mini-BAL absorber at υ=−2200 to −3400 km s−1 is detected in each of C iv, N v and O vi. The blue and red components of the C iv doublet happen to be unblended, allowing both the covering factor and optical depth to be determined as a function of velocity. Variation of the covering factor with velocity dominates the form of the mini-BAL, with the absorption being saturated (e−t≈ 0) over most of the velocity range. The velocity dependence of the covering factor and the large velocity width imply that the mini-BAL is intrinsic to the quasar. There is some evidence of line-locking between velocity components in the C iv mini-BAL, suggesting that radiation pressure plays a role in accelerating the outflow.
Several systems have been proposed to monitor wireless sensor networks (WSN). These systems may be active (causing a high degree of intrusion) or passive (low observability inside the nodes). This ...paper presents the implementation of an active hybrid (hardware and software) monitor with low intrusion. It is based on the addition to the sensor node of a monitor node (hardware part) which, through a standard interface, is able to receive the monitoring information sent by a piece of software executed in the sensor node. The intrusion on time, code, and energy caused in the sensor nodes by the monitor is evaluated as a function of data size and the interface used. Then different interfaces, commonly available in sensor nodes, are evaluated: serial transmission (USART), serial peripheral interface (SPI), and parallel. The proposed hybrid monitor provides highly detailed information, barely disturbed by the measurement tool (interference), about the behavior of the WSN that may be used to evaluate many properties such as performance, dependability, security, etc. Monitor nodes are self-powered and may be removed after the monitoring campaign to be reused in other campaigns and/or WSNs. No other hardware-independent monitoring platforms with such low interference have been found in the literature.
To assess the clinical utility of PERCIST criteria and changes in 18FFDG PET/CT quantitative parameters as prognostic factors for progression-free survival and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in ...patients with esophageal cancer treated by chemoradiotherapy.
Fifty patients (48 men) diagnosed with esophageal cancer were retrospectively evaluated over a 7.5-year interval. PERCIST criteria were used to assess response to neoadjuvant therapy. Variations in the metabolic parameters maximum SUV (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) between pre- and post-treatment PET/CT studies were also determined. ROC curves, Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression model were used for the analysis of prognostic factors and survival curves.
The average follow-up was 26.8 months, with 40 recurrences-progressions and 41 deaths. Survival analysis showed statistically significant differences in CSS curves for PERCIST criteria and variation of MTV and TLG. PERCIST criteria were the only independent predictor in the multivariate analysis. Neither SUVmax nor tumor size were predictors for any of the assessment criteria.
Application of PERCIST criteria as well as change in MTV and TLG from PET/CT studies proved to be prognostic factors for CSS in patients in our setting treated for esophageal cancer. The results could help to personalize treatment.
Valorar la utilidad clínica de los criterios PERCIST y de los cambios en los parámetros cuantitativos de la PET/TC con 18FFDG como factores pronósticos para la supervivencia libre de progresión y la supervivencia cáncer específica (SCE) en pacientes con cáncer de esófago tratados mediante quimiorradioterapia.
Se valoraron retrospectivamente 50 pacientes (48 hombres) diagnosticados de cáncer de esófago durante un intervalo de 7,5 años. Se utilizaron los criterios PERCIST para valorar la respuesta a la neoadyuvancia. Asimismo, se determinaron las variaciones del SUV máximo (SUVmax), volumen metabólico tumoral (MTV) y glicólisis tumoral total (TLG) entre los estudios PET/TC pre y postratamiento. Las curvas ROC, el método de Kaplan–Meier y el modelo de regresión de Cox se aplicaron para el análisis de factores pronósticos y curvas de supervivencia.
El seguimiento medio fue de 26,8 meses, produciéndose 40 recurrencias-progresiones y 41 muertes. El análisis de supervivencia mostró curvas de SCE con diferencias estadísticamente significativas en relación con los criterios PERCIST y la variación del MTV y la TLG. Los criterios PERCIST fueron el único factor predictivo independiente en el análisis multivariante. Ni el SUVmax ni el tamaño tumoral fueron predictores para ninguno de los criterios de evaluación.
La aplicación de los criterios PERCIST, así como el cambio de MTV y TLG de los estudios PET/TC demostraron ser factores pronósticos para la SCE en pacientes de nuestro entorno tratados por cáncer de esófago. Los resultados podrían ayudar a personalizar el tratamiento.
There is a growing interest in the objective assessment of health related outcomes using technology providing quality measurements to be applied not only in daily clinical practice, but also in ...scientific research. Differences in the understandings of the condition and the terminology used between people with Parkinson's (PwPs), clinicians and technical developers may influence the progress of a participatory design process.
This paper reports on a participatory design process to achieve a consensus among PwPs, clinicians and technologists over the selection of a set of symptomatic domains to be continuously assessed, in order to provide results relevant to both PwPs and clinicians.
The methods used were a Web based user survey, end-user focus groups, ranking by combined methods, a Delphi process performed among clinicians and scientists, and prioritization of the results in a concertation workshop for PwPs, clinicians and technologists.
The following symptomatic domains were commonly agreed by PwPs and clinicians to be of central importance in a system of continuous assessment: hypokinesia/bradykinesia, tremor, sway, gait, sleep and cognition. This list satisfied both the needs of the PwPs and the concerns of the clinicians regarding the means of advancing new strategies in assessment and interventions in PD.
A participatory design strategy allowed the definition of a consensual list of symptomatic domains. Both the strategy and the achieved results may be of relevance for similar interdisciplinary approaches in the field of PD using a participatory design involving patients, clinicians and technologists.
This study reports the production of H sub(2) via catalytic methane decomposition on Pt supported on yttria-stabilized zirconia together with its electrochemical regeneration in a solid electrolyte ...membrane reactor. Hence, a Pt-YSZ sub(porous)/YSZ/Pt double-chamber solid electrolyte cell was prepared and tested under two reaction regimes. In the first regime, under open-circuit conditions, hydrogen and carbon are produced on the catalyticaily active Pt-YSZ porous catalyst via methane decomposition reaction (CH sub(4) (g) arrowright C (s) + 2H sub(2) (g)). In the second regime, under polarization conditions, steam is electrolyzed at the Pt cathode of the cell (H sub(2)O + 2e super(-) arrowright H sub(2) + O super(2-)) and the produced O super(2-) ions were simultaneously electrochemically pumped to the Pt/YSZ porous catalyst (anode), thereby allowing removal of the previously deposited carbon (C (s) + O super(2-) arrowright CO sub(2) (g)) and finally regenerating the Pt/YSZ porous catalyst film. We demonstrated that the carbon generated in the methane decomposition step serves as a depolarizating agent in the steam electrolysis process, thus decreasing the electrical energy input required for electrochemically producing pure H sub(2). In addition, during the regeneration step, C sub(2) hydrocarbons (e.g., ethane and ethylene) were obtained as a result of the electrocatalytic methane oxidative coupling on the Pt/YSZ porous catalyst film. The performance and durability of the system was also verified for long operation times in view of the possible practical application of this novel reactor configuration, which combines gas-phase catalysis and electrocatalysis for hydrogen production.
The use of osteosynthesis materials when complex fractures are presented is well known. However, the use of these materials has not achieved a correct fixation and reduction of all bone fragments. ...Therefore, an adhesive for bones would provide a simple and quick method to fix this kind of fractures. The aim of this work is to propose and to evaluate an adhesive based on chitosan hydrogels that could have a potential use as a bone adhesive underwater and will not develop cytotoxic effects. Ionically and covalently crosslinked hydrogels based on chitosan were used in this study. Butt joint test with bovine cancellous bone specimens were used in order to measure the tensile bond strength (TBS) in ideal (completely dry) and physiological (immersed in water at 37 °C) conditions. Additionally, TBS was estimated as a function of time of bone specimens immersed in water at 37 °C. Cell viability was studied using MTT assay and cell morphology on the adhesive surface was examined by scanning electron microscope. Mechanical studies revealed that only covalently crosslinked hydrogels maintain their TBS at physiological condition with respect to the dry environment. In addition, it was observed that the TBS, using only covalently crosslinked hydrogels adhesives, dramatically changes as a function of time and its behavior increases as calcium carbonate and hydroxyapatite is added. Finally, in vitro cell testing of covalently crosslinked hydrogel with calcium carbonate and hydroxyapatite exhibited excellent biocompatibility. Therefore, this formulation is proposed as a potential candidate for clinical use in orthopedic surgery.
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