Enhancing spatial inference of air pollution using machine learning techniques with low-cost monitors in data-limited scenarios.

Ensuring environmental justice necessitates equitable access to air quality data, particularly for vulnerable communities. However, traditional air quality data from reference monitors can be costly and challenging to interpret without in-depth knowledge of local meteorology. Low-cost monitors present an opportunity to enhance data availability in developing countries and enable the establishment of local monitoring networks. While machine learning models have shown promise in atmospheric dispersion modelling, many existing approaches rely on complementary data sources that are inaccessible in low-income areas, such as smartphone tracking and real-time traffic monitoring. This study addresses these limitations by introducing deep learning-based models for particulate matter dispersion at the neighbourhood scale. The models utilize data from low-cost monitors and widely available free datasets, delivering root mean square errors (RMSE) below 2.9 µg m-3 for PM1, PM2.5, and PM10. The sensitivity analysis shows that the most important inputs to the models were the nearby monitors' PM concentrations, boundary layer dissipation and height, and precipitation variables. The models presented different sensitivities to each road type, and an RMSE below the regional differences, evidencing the learning of the spatial dependencies. This breakthrough paves the way for applications in various vulnerable localities, significantly improving air pollution data accessibility and contributing to environmental justice. Moreover, this work sets the stage for future research endeavours in refining the models and expanding data accessibility using alternative sources.

'Getting control of Corona takes many angles': COVID-19 vaccine knowledge, attitudes and beliefs among refugee/immigrant/migrant communities in four US cities.

The objectives of the study were to (i) document refugee, immigrant and migrant (RIM) communities' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs (KABs) related to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine and (ii) identify best practices for developing and disseminating culturally and linguistically responsive health messaging addressing those KABs. Thirteen online focus groups (OFGs) in 10 languages were conducted. Each OFG was conducted in the participants' native language. OFGs were recorded, transcribed, translated and uploaded to qualitative software for coding. A thematic analysis was conducted. Results suggest that while there was some variation between different language groups (e.g. whether religious leaders were seen as trusted sources of information about COVID), there were also important commonalities. Most language groups (i) alluded to hearing about or having gaps in knowledge about COVID-19/the COVID-19 vaccine, (ii) reported hearing negative or conflicting stories about the vaccine and (iii) shared concerns about the negative side effects of the vaccine. There continues to be a need for health messaging in RIM communities that is culturally and linguistically concordant and follows health literacy guidelines. Message content about the COVID-19 vaccine should focus on vaccine importance, effectiveness and safety, should be multimodal and should be primarily delivered by healthcare professionals and community members who have already been vaccinated.

Water filtration by endobenthic sandprawns enhances resilience against eutrophication under experimental global change conditions.

Identifying processes that confer resilience against global change is a scientific challenge but is central to managing ecosystem functionality in future. Detecting resilience-enhancing mechanisms is especially relevant in coastal ecosystems, where multi-stressor interactions can drive degradation over time. Here, we quantify the resilience-conferring potential of endobenthic sandprawns against eutrophication, including under high temperatures. We show using a global change mesocosm experiment that sandprawn presence was associated with declines in phytoplankton biomass, particularly under eutrophic conditions, where sandprawns reduced phytoplankton biomass by approximately 74% and prevented a shift to extreme eutrophy. Eutrophic waters were nanophytoplankton-dominated, but sandprawn presence countered this, resulting in even contributions of pico- and nanophytoplankton. Our findings highlight the potential for sandprawns to increase resilience against eutrophication by limiting phytoplankton blooms, preventing extreme eutrophy and counteracting nanophytoplankton dominance. Incorporating endobenthic crustaceans into resilience-based management practices can assist in arresting future water quality declines in coastal ecosystems.

Prediction of Total Knee Arthroplasty Sizes with Demographics, including Hand and Foot Sizes.

Anticipating implant sizes before total knee arthroplasty (TKA) allows the surgical team to streamline operations and prepare for potential difficulties. This study aims to determine the correlation and derive a regression model for predicting TKA sizes using patient-specific demographics without using radiographs. We reviewed the demographics, including hand and foot sizes, of 1,339 primary TKAs. To allow for comparison across different TKA designs, we converted the femur and tibia sizes into their anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) dimensions. Stepwise multivariate regressions were performed to analyze the data. Regarding the femur component, the patient's foot, gender, height, hand circumference, body mass index, and age was the significant demographic factors in the regression analysis (R-square 0.541, p < 0.05). For the tibia component, the significant factors in the regression analysis were the patient's foot size, gender, height, hand circumference, and age (R-square 0.608, p < 0.05). The patient's foot size had the highest correlation coefficient for both femur (0.670) and tibia (0.697) implant sizes (p < 0.05). We accurately predicted the femur component size exactly, within one and two sizes in 49.5, 94.2, and 99.9% of cases, respectively. Regarding the tibia, the prediction was exact, within one and two sizes in 53.0, 96.0, and 100% of cases, respectively. The regression model, utilizing patient-specific characteristics, such as foot size and hand circumference, accurately predicted TKA femur and tibia sizes within one component size. This provides a more efficient alternative for preoperative planning.

Axo-axonic cells in neuropsychiatric disorders: a systematic review.

Imbalance between excitation and inhibition in the cerebral cortex is one of the main theories in neuropsychiatric disorder pathophysiology. Cortical inhibition is finely regulated by a variety of highly specialized GABAergic interneuron types, which are thought to organize neural network activities. Among interneurons, axo-axonic cells are unique in making synapses with the axon initial segment of pyramidal neurons. Alterations of axo-axonic cells have been proposed to be implicated in disorders including epilepsy, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. However, evidence for the alteration of axo-axonic cells in disease has only been examined in narrative reviews. By performing a systematic review of studies investigating axo-axonic cells and axo-axonic communication in epilepsy, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder, we outline convergent findings and discrepancies in the literature. Overall, the implication of axo-axonic cells in neuropsychiatric disorders might have been overstated. Additional work is needed to assess initial, mostly indirect findings, and to unravel how defects in axo-axonic cells translates to cortical dysregulation and, in turn, to pathological states.

When might we break the rules? A statistical analysis of aesthetics in photographs.

High-quality photographs often follow certain high-level rules well known to photographers, but some photographs intentionally break these rules. Doing so is usually a matter of artistry and intuition, and the conditions and patterns that allow for rule-breaks are often not well articulated by photographers. This article first applies statistical techniques to help find and evaluate rule-breaking photographs, and then from these photographs discover those patterns that justify their rule-breaking. With this approach, this article discovered some significant patterns that explain why some high-quality photographs successfully break the common photographic rules by positioning the subject in the center or the horizon in the vertical center. These patterns included reflections, leading lines, crossing objects, ambiguous lines, implied lines, thirds line subjects, and busy foregrounds for center horizon photographs, and symmetry, circular-shaped objects, thirds line elements, gestalt, framing, leading lines, and perspective lines for center subject photographs.

Neuromodulation Treatments of Pathological Anxiety in Anxiety Disorders, Stressor-Related Disorders, and Major Depressive Disorder: A Dimensional Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Pathological anxiety is responsible for major functional impairments and resistance to conventional treatments in anxiety disorders (ADs), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). Focal neuromodulation therapies such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and deep brain stimulation (DBS) are being developed to treat those disorders. Methods: We performed a dimensional systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the evidence of the efficacy of TMS, tDCS and DBS in reducing anxiety symptoms across ADs, PTSD and MDD. Reports were identified through systematic searches in PubMed/Medline, Scopus and Cochrane library (inception to November 2020), followed by review according to the PRISMA guidelines. Controlled clinical trials examining the effectiveness of brain stimulation techniques on generic anxiety symptoms in patients with ADs, PTSD or MDD were selected. Results: Nineteen studies (RCTs) met inclusion criteria, which included 589 participants. Overall, focal brain activity modulation interventions were associated with greater reduction of anxiety levels than controls [SMD: -0.56 (95% CI, -0.93 to-0.20, I 2 = 77%]. Subgroup analyses revealed positive effects for TMS across disorders, and of focal neuromodulation in generalized anxiety disorder and PTSD. Rates of clinical responses and remission were higher in the active conditions. However, the risk of bias was high in most studies. Conclusions: There is moderate quality evidence for the efficacy of neuromodulation in treating pathological anxiety. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=233084, identifier: PROSPERO CRD42021233084. It was submitted on January 29th, 2021, and registered on March 1st, 2021. No amendment was made to the recorded protocol. A change was applied for the subgroup analyses based on target brain regions, we added the putative nature (excitatory/inhibitory) of brain activity modulation.

The advent of fear conditioning as an animal model of post-traumatic stress disorder: Learning from the past to shape the future of PTSD research.

Translational research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has produced limited improvements in clinical practice. Fear conditioning (FC) is one of the dominant animal models of PTSD. In fact, FC is used in many different ways to model PTSD. The variety of FC-based models is ill defined, creating confusion and conceptual vagueness, which in turn impedes translation into the clinic. This article takes a historical and conceptual approach to provide a comprehensive picture of current research and help reorient the research focus. This work historically reviews the variety of models that have emerged from the initial association of PTSD with FC, highlighting conceptual pitfalls that have limited the translation of animal research into clinical advances. We then provide some guidance on how future translational research could benefit from conceptual and technological improvements to translate basic findings in patients. This objective will require transdisciplinary approaches and should involve physicians, engineers, philosophers, and neuroscientists.

Use of a sternocleidomastoid muscle flap to protect the carotid artery during laryngectomy.

OBJECTIVES: This paper describes a simple method of securing tissue coverage of the great vessels at the initial surgery by rotating the divided sternal heads of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, a routine step during laryngectomy, and approximating them to the prevertebral fascia. The paper presents an illustrated case example where this technique in a salvage laryngectomy repair resulted in a protected vascular axis following a salivary leak. RESULTS: Since utilising this technique, there has been a marked reduction in the requirement of subsequent flap procedures to protect vessels, and no episodes of threatened or actual carotid blowout.

Molecular characterization of plasmids encoding blaCTX-M from faecal Escherichia coli in travellers returning to the UK from South Asia.

BACKGROUND: The global prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli is rising and is dominated by blaCTX-M spread by plasmids. Travellers to South Asia from Western Europe have high rates of acquisition of faecal CTX-M-producing E. coli (CTX-M-EC). AIMS: To determine the conjugative ability of CTX-M-EC acquired by healthy volunteers after travel to South Asia, the proportion of travel-acquired CTX-M-EC where blaCTX-M is encoded on a plasmid vs on the bacterial chromosome, and the relatedness of travel-acquired CTX-M-EC plasmids to previously sequenced plasmids. METHODS: Faecal samples were collected pre- and post-travel from 23 volunteers who visited South Asia, and CTX-M-EC were cultured. After short- and long-read sequencing, 10 plasmid sequences were identified and compared with previously sequenced plasmids in GenBank. Conjugation to E. coli K-12 was undertaken using filter mating. FINDINGS: Thirty-five percent of CTX-M-EC isolates tested transferred the blaCTX-M plasmid by conjugation. Travel-acquired CTX-M-EC carried blaCTX-M on a plasmid in 62% of isolates, whereas 38% of isolates had blaCTX-M on the chromosome. CTX-M-EC plasmids acquired after travel to South Asia had close homology to previously described epidemic plasmids which are widely disseminated in humans, animals and the natural environment. CONCLUSION: Globally successful epidemic plasmids are involved in the spread of CTX-M-EC. Targeted strategies may be used to displace such plasmids from the host strain as part of efforts in infection prevention and control in healthcare settings. Bacteria with blaCTX-M plasmids were readily acquired by healthy volunteers, and were carried on return to the UK, providing opportunities for onward dissemination.

Multiresolution Modeling of High-Latitude Ionospheric Electric Field Variability and Impact on Joule Heating Using SuperDARN Data.

The most dynamic electromagnetic coupling between the magnetosphere and ionosphere occurs in the polar upper atmosphere. It is critical to quantify the electromagnetic energy and momentum input associated with this coupling as its impacts on the ionosphere and thermosphere system are global and major, often leading to considerable disturbances in near-Earth space environments. The current general circulation models of the upper atmosphere exhibit systematic biases that can be attributed to an inadequate representation of the Joule heating rate resulting from unaccounted stochastic fluctuations of electric fields associated with the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. These biases exist regardless of geomagnetic activity levels. To overcome this limitation, a new multiresolution random field modeling approach is developed, and the efficacy of the approach is demonstrated using Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) data carefully curated for the study during a largely quiet 4-hour period on February 29, 2012. Regional small-scale electrostatic fields sampled at different resolutions from a probabilistic distribution of electric field variability conditioned on actual SuperDARN LOS observations exhibit considerably more localized fine-scale features in comparison to global large-scale fields modeled using the SuperDARN Assimilative Mapping procedure. The overall hemispherically integrated Joule heating rate is increased by a factor of about 1.5 due to the effect of random regional small-scale electric fields, which is close to the lower end of arbitrarily adjusted Joule heating multiplicative factor of 1.5 and 2.5 typically used in upper atmosphere general circulation models. The study represents an important step toward a data-driven ensemble modeling of magnetosphere-ionosphere-atmosphere coupling processes.

Covariance estimation via fiducial inference.

As a classical problem, covariance estimation has drawn much attention from the statistical community for decades. Much work has been done under the frequentist and the Bayesian frameworks. Aiming to quantify the uncertainty of the estimators without having to choose a prior, we have developed a fiducial approach to the estimation of covariance matrix. Built upon the Fiducial Berstein-von Mises Theorem (Sonderegger and Hannig 2014), we show that the fiducial distribution of the covariate matrix is consistent under our framework. Consequently, the samples generated from this fiducial distribution are good estimators to the true covariance matrix, which enable us to define a meaningful confidence region for the covariance matrix. Lastly, we also show that the fiducial approach can be a powerful tool for identifying clique structures in covariance matrices.

Tendon-derived extracellular matrix induces mesenchymal stem cell tenogenesis via an integrin/transforming growth factor-ß crosstalk-mediated mechanism.

Treatment of tendon injuries is challenging. To develop means to augment tendon regeneration, we have previously prepared a soluble, low immunogenic (DNA-free), tendon extracellular matrix fraction (tECM) by urea extraction of juvenile bovine tendons, which is capable of enhancing transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) mediated tenogenesis in human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs). Here, we aimed to elucidate the mechanism of tECM-driven hASC tenogenic differentiation in vitro, focusing on the integrin and TGF-ß/SMAD pathways. Our results showed that tECM promoted hASC proliferation and tenogenic differentiation in vitro based on tenogenesis-associated markers. tECM also induced higher expression of several integrin subunits and TGF-ß receptors, and nuclear translocation of p-SMAD2 in hASCs. Pharmacological inhibition of integrin-ECM binding, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling, or TGF-ß signaling independently led to compromised pro-tenogenic effects of tECM and actin fiber polymerization. Additionally, integrin blockade inhibited tECM-driven TGFBR2 expression, while inhibiting TGF-ß signaling decreased tECM-mediated expression of integrin α1, α2, and ß1 in hASCs. Together, these findings suggest that the strong pro-tenogenic bioactivity of tECM is regulated via integrin/TGF-ß signaling crosstalk. Understanding how integrins interact with signaling by TGF-ß and/or other growth factors (GFs) within the tendon ECM microenvironment will provide a rational basis for an ECM-based approach for tendon repair.

Aqueous-Based Low-Temperature Synthesis and Thin-Film Properties of Oxysulfide BiCuOS Nanoparticles.

BiCuOS is a nontoxic p-type semiconductor that is a promising candidate for photoelectric applications. The formation of thin films with a good electronic transport at the grain boundaries, while avoiding thermal treatment detrimental to its chemical stability is a challenge. We have developed a chemical method for the direct synthesis of stable colloidal suspensions of BiCuOS nanoparticles from soluble precursors. These colloidal solutions were stabilized with a catechol functionalized poly-3-hexylthiophene that allows easy spin-coating deposition and favors electronic transport along the grain boundaries. Stacking of ZnO-BiCuOS layers were achieved, allowing preparation of n-p junctions. These act as rectifying diodes and are strongly photosensitive, with Iph /Idark =85 corresponding to an enhancement of the photocurrent of more than two orders of magnitude compared to that of BiCuOS alone. This energy-efficient and low-cost method is a further step in the development of new sulfide semiconductor devices.

Adding diffusion ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY) to the arsenal for characterizing paramagnetic complexes.

Herein we report the development of diffusion ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY) for its use to characterize metal complexes containing paramagnetic first row transition metal elements. This technique is capable of assessing the purity and speciation of paramagnetic complexes, and also provides a convenient method to provide qualitative and sometimes quantitative molecular weight data.

Diagnosis and pathologic characteristics of medullary thyroid carcinoma-review of current guidelines.

Background: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (mtc) is a rare malignancy of the thyroid gland, and raising awareness of the recommended diagnostic workup and pathologic characteristics of this malignancy is therefore important. Methods: We reviewed the current clinical practice guidelines and recent literature on mtc, and here, we summarize the recommendations for its diagnosis and workup. We also provide an overview of the pathology of mtc. Results: A neuroendocrine tumour, mtc arises from parafollicular cells ("C cells"), which secrete calcitonin. As part of the multiple endocrine neoplasia (men) type 2 syndromes, mtc can occur sporadically or in a hereditary form. This usually poorly delineated and infiltrative tumour is composed of solid nests of discohesive cells within a fibrous stroma that might also contain amyloid. Suspicious nodules on thyroid ultrasonography should be assessed with fine-needle aspiration (fna). If a diagnosis of mtc is made on fna, patients require baseline measurements of serum calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen. Calcitonin levels greater than 500 pg/mL or clinical suspicion for metastatic disease dictate the need for further imaging studies. All patients should undergo dna analysis for RET mutations to diagnose men type 2 syndromes, and if positive, they should be assessed for possible pheochromocytoma and hyperparathyroidism. Summary: Although the initial diagnosis of a suspicious thyroid nodule is the same for differentiated thyroid carcinoma and mtc, the remainder of the workup and diagnosis for mtc is distinct.

A primer on the genetics of medullary thyroid cancer.

Medullary thyroid cancer is a rare type of neuroendocrine tumour that arises from the parafollicular cells (C cells) of the thyroid gland. It accounts for 3%-5% of thyroid cancer cases. Close to 25% of cases are familial, and 75% are considered sporadic. Familial cases are associated with a germline RET mutation; 43%-65% of sporadic cases harbour a somatic event in the gene. Germline RET mutations are associated with the autosomal-dominant inherited multiple endocrine neoplasia (men) 2a and 2b syndromes and the isolated familial medullary thyroid cancer syndrome. More than 100 RET codon mutations have been reported to date, with genotype-phenotype correlations that include the extent and aggressiveness of the medullary thyroid cancer and the presence of other features of the men2 syndromes. The latter include pheochromocytoma-paraganglioma, hyperparathyroidism, cutaneous lichen amyloidosis, and Hirschsprung disease. In this narrative review, we focus on RET proto-oncogene physiology and pathogenesis induced by germline and somatic RET mutations, the genotype-phenotype correlation, and the management and follow-up of patients with germline-mutated medullary thyroid cancer.

[MD-PhD trainings in France: overview and future directions, from the French MD/PharmD-PhD students association « AMPS ¼]. / Les doubles cursus médecine-sciences en France - État des lieux et perspectives.

MD-PhD programs allow students to undergo research training and to be granted a PhD during medical education. In France, before years 2000, the scientific training of MD-PhD students was traditionally initiated during, or even after residency. Integrated MD-PhD programs have been launched in France in 2003 by Inserm, the public scientific and technological institute dedicated to biomedical research and human health. Irrespective of the MD-PhD training pathway followed, students enrolled in these programs face several difficulties. Those mainly result from an insufficient integration of scientific and medical trainings. The aims of this work are to describe the structure of the french MD-PhD programs, identify the main difficulties faced by MD-PhD students in France, and make proposals which could facilitate the training and further strengthen the MD-PhD workforce in France.

Host-specific differences in the contribution of an ESBL IncI1 plasmid to intestinal colonization by Escherichia coli O104:H4.

Objectives: To assess stability and contribution of a large ESBL-encoding IncI1 plasmid to intestinal colonization by Escherichia coli O104:H4 in two different mammalian hosts. Methods: Specific-pathogen-free 3-4-day-old New Zealand White rabbits and conventionally reared 6-week-old weaned lambs were orally infected with WT E. coli O104:H4 or the ESBL-plasmid-cured derivative, and the recovery of bacteria in intestinal homogenates and faeces monitored over time. Results: Carriage of the ESBL plasmid had differing impacts on E. coli O104:H4 colonization of the two experimental hosts. The plasmid-cured strain was recovered at significantly higher levels than WT during late-stage colonization of rabbits, but at lower levels than WT in sheep. Regardless of the animal host, the ESBL plasmid was stably maintained in virtually all in vivo passaged bacteria that were examined. Conclusions: These findings suggest that carriage of ESBL plasmids has distinct effects on the host bacterium depending upon the animal species it encounters and demonstrates that, as for E. coli O157:H7, ruminants could represent a potential transmission reservoir.

A MULTI-RESOLUTION MODEL FOR NON-GAUSSIAN RANDOM FIELDS ON A SPHERE WITH APPLICATION TO IONOSPHERIC ELECTROSTATIC POTENTIALS.

Gaussian random fields have been one of the most popular tools for analyzing spatial data. However, many geophysical and environmental processes often display non-Gaussian characteristics. In this paper, we propose a new class of spatial models for non-Gaussian random fields on a sphere based on a multi-resolution analysis. Using a special wavelet frame, named spherical needlets, as building blocks, the proposed model is constructed in the form of a sparse random effects model. The spatial localization of needlets, together with carefully chosen random coefficients, ensure the model to be non-Gaussian and isotropic. The model can also be expanded to include a spatially varying variance profile. The special formulation of the model enables us to develop efficient estimation and prediction procedures, in which an adaptive MCMC algorithm is used. We investigate the accuracy of parameter estimation of the proposed model, and compare its predictive performance with that of two Gaussian models by extensive numerical experiments. Practical utility of the proposed model is demonstrated through an application of the methodology to a data set of high-latitude ionospheric electrostatic potentials, generated from the LFM-MIX model of the magnetosphere-ionosphere system.