Predicting survival in dairy cattle by combining genomic breeding values and phenotypic information.

Advances in technology and improved data collection have increased the availability of genomic estimated breeding values (gEBV) and phenotypic information on dairy farms. This information could be used for the prediction of complex traits such as survival, which can in turn be used in replacement heifer management. In this study, we investigated which gEBV and phenotypic variables are of use in the prediction of survival. Survival was defined as survival to second lactation, plus 2 wk, a binary trait. A data set was obtained of 6,847 heifers that were all genotyped at birth. Each heifer had 50 gEBV and up to 62 phenotypic variables that became gradually available over time. Stepwise variable selection on 70% of the data was used to create multiple regression models to predict survival with data available at 5 decision moments: distinct points in the life of a heifer at which new phenotypic information becomes available. The remaining 30% of the data were kept apart to investigate predictive performance of the models on independent data. A combination of gEBV and phenotypic variables always resulted in the model with the highest Akaike information criterion value. The gEBV selected were longevity, feet and leg score, exterior score, udder score, and udder health score. Phenotypic variables on fertility, age at first calving, and milk quantity were important once available. It was impossible to predict individual survival accurately, but the mean predicted probability of survival of the surviving heifers was always higher than the mean predicted probability of the nonsurviving group (difference ranged from 0.014 to 0.028). The model obtained 2.0 to 3.0% more surviving heifers when the highest scoring 50% of heifers were selected compared with randomly selected heifers. Combining phenotypic information and gEBV always resulted in the highest scoring models for the prediction of survival, and especially improved early predictive performance. By selecting the heifers with the highest predicted probability of survival, increased survival could be realized at the population level in practice.

Comparing regression, naive Bayes, and random forest methods in the prediction of individual survival to second lactation in Holstein cattle.

In this study, we compared multiple logistic regression, a linear method, to naive Bayes and random forest, 2 nonlinear machine-learning methods. We used all 3 methods to predict individual survival to second lactation in dairy heifers. The data set used for prediction contained 6,847 heifers born between January 2012 and June 2013, and had known survival outcomes. Each animal had 50 genomic estimated breeding values available at birth and up to 65 phenotypic variables that accumulated over time. Survival was predicted at 5 moments in life: at birth, at 18 mo, at first calving, at 6 wk after first calving, and at 200 d after first calving. The data sets were randomly split into 70% training and 30% testing sets to evaluate model performance for 20-fold validation. The methods were compared for accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC) value, contrasts between groups for the prediction outcomes, and increase in surviving animals in a practical scenario. At birth and 18 mo, all methods had overlapping performance; no method significantly outperformed the other. At first calving, 6 wk after first calving, and 200 d after first calving, random forest and naive Bayes had overlapping performance, and both machine-learning methods outperformed multiple logistic regression. Overall, naive Bayes has the highest average AUC at all decision points up to 200 d after first calving. Random forest had the highest AUC at 200 d after first calving. All methods obtained similar increases in survival in the practical scenario. Despite this, the methods appeared to predict the survival of individual heifers differently. All methods improved over time, but the changes in mean model outcomes for surviving and non-surviving animals differed by method. Furthermore, the correlations of individual predictions between methods ranged from r = 0.417 to r = 0.700; the lowest correlations were at first calving for all methods. In short, all 3 methods were able to predict survival at a population level, because all methods improved survival in a practical scenario. However, depending on the method used, predictions for individual animals were quite different between methods.

Error detection across the adult lifespan: Electrophysiological evidence for age-related deficits.

With increasing age, cognitive control processes steadily decline. Prior research suggests that healthy older adults have a generally intact performance monitoring system, but show specific deficits in error awareness, i.e., the ability to detect committed errors. We examined the neural processing of errors across the adult lifespan (69 participants; age range 20-72 years) by analysing the error (-related) negativity (Ne/ERN) and the error positivity (Pe) using an adapted version of the Go/Nogo task. At a stable overall error rate, higher age was associated with a greater proportion of undetected errors. While the Ne/ERN was associated with the processing of errors in general, the Pe amplitude was modulated by detected errors only. Furthermore, the Pe amplitude for detected errors was significantly smaller in older adults, in contrast to the Ne/ERN amplitude which did not show age-related changes. Structural path models suggested that through those age-related changes in Pe amplitude, an indirect effect on the performance was observed. Our results confirm and extend previous extreme-group based findings about specific deficits in error detection associated with higher age using age as a continuous predictor. Age-related reductions in Pe amplitude, associated with more undetected errors, are independent of early error processing, as evidenced by the preserved Ne/ERN.

Strategies in surface engineering for the regulation of microclimates in skin-medical product interactions.

There is a growing number of personal healthcare devices that are in prolonged contact with the skin. The functionality of these products is linked to the interface formed by the contact between the medical apparatus and the skin. The interface can be characterised by its topology, compliance, and moisture and thermal regulating capabilities. Many devices are, however, described to have suboptimal and occlusive contacts, resulting in physiological unfavourable microclimates at the interface. The resulting poor management of moisture and temperature can impact the functionality and utility of the device and, in severe cases, lead to physical harm to the user. Being able to control the microclimate is therefore expected to limit medical-device related injuries and prevent associated skin complications. Surface engineering can modify and potentially enhance the regulation of the microclimate factors surrounding the interface between a product's surface and the skin. This review provides an overview of potential engineering solutions considering the needs for, and influences on, regulation of temperature and moisture by considering the skin-medical device interface as a system. These findings serve as a platform for the anticipated progress in the role of surface engineering for skin-device microclimate regulation.

A multivariable model for predicting the frictional behaviour and hydration of the human skin.

BACKGROUND: The frictional characteristics of skin-object interactions are important when handling objects, in the assessment of perception and comfort of products and materials and in the origins and prevention of skin injuries. In this study, based on statistical methods, a quantitative model is developed that describes the friction behaviour of human skin as a function of the subject characteristics, contact conditions, the properties of the counter material as well as environmental conditions. AIMS: Although the frictional behaviour of human skin is a multivariable problem, in literature the variables that are associated with skin friction have been studied using univariable methods. In this work, multivariable models for the static and dynamic coefficients of friction as well as for the hydration of the skin are presented. MATERIALS & METHODS: A total of 634 skin-friction measurements were performed using a recently developed tribometer. Using a statistical analysis, previously defined potential influential variables were linked to the static and dynamic coefficient of friction and to the hydration of the skin, resulting in three predictive quantitative models that descibe the friction behaviour and the hydration of human skin respectively. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Increased dynamic coefficients of friction were obtained from older subjects, on the index finger, with materials with a higher surface energy at higher room temperatures, whereas lower dynamic coefficients of friction were obtained at lower skin temperatures, on the temple with rougher contact materials. The static coefficient of friction increased with higher skin hydration, increasing age, on the index finger, with materials with a higher surface energy and at higher ambient temperatures. The hydration of the skin was associated with the skin temperature, anatomical location, presence of hair on the skin and the relative air humidity. CONCLUSION: Predictive models have been derived for the static and dynamic coefficient of friction using a multivariable approach. These two coefficients of friction show a strong correlation. Consequently the two multivariable models resemble, with the static coefficient of friction being on average 18% lower than the dynamic coefficient of friction. The multivariable models in this study can be used to describe the data set that was the basis for this study. Care should be taken when generalising these results.

Validation of an AI-based algorithm for measurement of the thoracic aortic diameter in low-dose chest CT.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the performance of artificial intelligence (AI) software for automatic thoracic aortic diameter assessment in a heterogeneous cohort with low-dose, non-contrast chest computed tomography (CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants of the Imaging in Lifelines (ImaLife) study who underwent low-dose, non-contrast chest CT (August 2017-May 2022) were included using random samples of 80 participants <50y, ≥80y, and with thoracic aortic diameter ≥40 mm. AI-based aortic diameters at eight guideline compliant positions were compared with manual measurements. In 90 examinations (30 per group) diameters were reassessed for intra- and inter-reader variability, which was compared to discrepancy of the AI system using Bland-Altman analysis, paired samples t-testing and linear mixed models. RESULTS: We analyzed 240 participants (63 ± 16 years; 50 % men). AI evaluation failed in 11 cases due to incorrect segmentation (4.6 %), leaving 229 cases for analysis. No difference was found in aortic diameter between manual and automatic measurements (32.7 ± 6.4 mm vs 32.7 ± 6.0 mm, p = 0.70). Bland-Altman analysis yielded no systematic bias and a repeatability coefficient of 4.0 mm for AI. Mean discrepancy of AI (1.3 ± 1.6 mm) was comparable to inter-reader variability (1.4 ± 1.4 mm); only at the proximal aortic arch showed AI higher discrepancy (2.0 ± 1.8 mm vs 0.9 ± 0.9 mm, p < 0.001). No difference between AI discrepancy and inter-reader variability was found for any subgroup (all: p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The AI software can accurately measure thoracic aortic diameters, with discrepancy to a human reader similar to inter-reader variability in a range from normal to dilated aortas.

Exploring the Effect of Post-mastectomy complications on 5-year survival.

BACKGROUND: Ramifications of postoperative complications on long-term survival after mastectomy are uncertain. METHODS: Overall complications (Clavien-Dindo Grades I-IIIB) and wound complications were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method for impact on 5-year overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: A total of 378 patients underwent mastectomy alone (157, 41%) or mastectomy with reconstruction (221, 59%) for Stage I-III disease with a median follow-up of 5 years. Postoperative complications occurred in 186 patients (49%), requiring non-surgical (I/II = 83, 22%) or surgical (IIIa/IIIb = 103, 27%) management. Wound complications occurred in 140 patients (37%). Reconstruction was associated with a higher rate of complication (P < 0.001). Postoperative complications after mastectomy (with or without reconstruction) did not significantly affect OS or DFS. Wound complications also showed no significant effect on OS or DFS following mastectomy alone, or mastectomy with reconstruction. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative complications after mastectomy, with or without reconstruction, bear no significant impact on 5-year survival.

Molecular alterations in bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells derived from acute myeloid leukemia patients.

The contribution of molecular alterations in bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSC) to the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is poorly understood. Thus we assessed genome-wide genetic, transcriptional and epigenetic alterations in BM-MSC derived from AML patients (AML BM-MSC). Whole-exome sequencing (WES) of AML BM-MSC samples from 21 patients revealed a non-specific pattern of genetic alterations in the stromal compartment. The only mutation present in AML BM-MSC at serial time points of diagnosis, complete remission and relapse was a mutation in the PLEC gene encoding for cytoskeleton key player Plectin in one AML patient. Healthy donor controls did not carry genetic alterations as determined by WES. Transcriptional profiling using RNA sequencing revealed deregulation of proteoglycans and adhesion molecules as well as cytokines in AML BM-MSC. Moreover, KEGG pathway enrichment analysis unravelled deregulated metabolic pathways and endocytosis in both transcriptional and DNA methylation signatures in AML BM-MSC. Taken together, we report molecular alterations in AML BM-MSC suggesting global changes in the AML BM microenvironment. Extended investigations of these altered niche components may contribute to the design of niche-directed therapies in AML.

A tribo-mechanical analysis of PVA-based building-blocks for implementation in a 2-layered skin model.

Poly(vinyl) alcohol hydrogel (PVA) is a well-known polymer widely used in the medical field due to its biocompatibility properties and easy manufacturing. In this work, the tribo-mechanical properties of PVA-based blocks are studied to evaluate their suitability as a part of a structure simulating the length scale dependence of human skin. Thus, blocks of pure PVA and PVA mixed with Cellulose (PVA-Cel) were synthesised via freezing/thawing cycles and their mechanical properties were determined by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) and creep tests. The dynamic tests addressed to elastic moduli between 38 and 50kPa for the PVA and PVA-Cel, respectively. The fitting of the creep compliance tests in the SLS model confirmed the viscoelastic behaviour of the samples with retardation times of 23 and 16 seconds for the PVA and PVA-Cel, respectively. Micro indentation tests were also achieved and the results indicated elastic moduli in the same range of the dynamic tests. Specifically, values between 45-55 and 56-81kPa were obtained for the PVA and PVA-Cel samples, respectively. The tribological results indicated values of 0.55 at low forces for the PVA decreasing to 0.13 at higher forces. The PVA-Cel blocks showed lower friction even at low forces with values between 0.2 and 0.07. The implementation of these building blocks in the design of a 2-layered skin model (2LSM) is also presented in this work. The 2LSM was stamped with four different textures and their surface properties were evaluated. The hydration of the 2LSM was also evaluated with a corneometer and the results indicated a gradient of hydration comparable to the human skin.

Sexual dimorphism in livestock species selected for economically important traits.

Most breeding companies evaluate economically important traits in males and females as a single trait, assuming genetic correlation of 1 between phenotypes measured in both sexes. This assumption may not be true because genes may be differently expressed in males and females. We estimated genetic correlations between males and females for growth and efficiency traits in broiler chickens, growth traits in American Angus beef cattle, and birth weight and preweaning mortality in purebred pigs; therefore, each trait was treated differently in males and females. Variance components were estimated in single- and multiple-trait models, jointly or separated into both sexes. Furthermore, we calculated traditional and genomic evaluations, and we correlated EBV or genomic EBV (GEBV) from joint and separate evaluations for males and females. For broiler chickens, genetic correlations ranged from 0.86 to 0.94. For Angus cattle, genetic correlations ranged from 0.86 to 0.98 for early growth traits and were less, ranging from 0.68 to 0.84, for postweaning gain. In pigs, genetic correlations ranged from 0.98 to 0.99 for birth weight and from 0.71 to 0.73 for preweaning mortality. For some models in all 3 animal species, the joint and separate analyses had different heritabilities. Despite differences in heritability, the correlations within the sex-specific trait EBV and between the sex-specific and the joint trait EBV were very strong, regardless of the model or inclusion of genomic information. Males and females differed for traits measured late in the animal's life; however, strong traditional EBV correlations and also GEBV correlations indicate that considering the traits equal in males and females may have no negative impact on selection.

A new water absorbable mechanical Epidermal skin equivalent: the combination of hydrophobic PDMS and hydrophilic PVA hydrogel.

Research on human skin interactions with healthcare and lifestyle products is a topic continuously attracting scientific studies over the past years. It is possible to evaluate skin mechanical properties based on human or animal experimentation, yet in addition to possible ethical issues, these samples are hard to obtain, expensive and give rise to highly variable results. Therefore, the design of a skin equivalent is essential. This paper describes the design and characterization of a new Epidermal Skin Equivalent (ESE). The material resembles the properties of epidermis and is a first approach to mimic the mechanical properties of the human skin structure, variable with the length scale. The ESE is based on a mixture of Polydimethyl Siloxane (PDMS) and Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) hydrogel cross-linked with Glutaraldehyde (GA). It was chemically characterized by XPS and FTIR measurements and its cross section was observed by macroscopy and cryoSEM. Confocal Microscope analysis on the surface of the ESE showed an arithmetic roughness (Ra) between 14-16 µm and contact angle (CA) values between 50-60°, both of which are close to the values of in vivo human skins reported in the literature. The Equilibrium Water Content (ECW) was around 33.8% and Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) confirmed the composition of the ESE samples. Moreover, the mechanical performance was determined by indentation tests and Dynamo Thermo Mechanical Analysis (DTMA) shear measurements. The indentation results were in good agreement with that of the target epidermis reported in the literature with an elastic modulus between 0.1-1.5 MPa and it showed dependency on the water content. According to the DTMA measurements, the ESE exhibits a viscoelastic behavior, with a shear modulus between 1-2.5MPa variable with temperature, frequency and the hydration of the samples.

Maternal uniparental disomy (UPD) for chromosome 2 discovered by exclusion of paternity.

Serological and molecular (DNA-STR) analysis of a paternity case demonstrated exclusion of paternity of the presumptive father in two markers (ACP and Apo B, both localized on chromosome 2, region 2p25.2 and 2p23/24, respectively) in a phenotypically normal girl with a normal karyotype 46,XX (by GT-banding). The index of paternity calculated for other serological (seven erythrocyte antigens, six serum protein systems, and seven isozymes, as well as the A- and B-HLA loci) and nine DNA markers, excluding ACP and Apo B, gives a very high (virtually certain) degree of paternity for the presumptive father. Maternal uniparental disomy (UPD) for chromosome 2 was suspected. Evaluation of polymorphic DNA markers (STRs) spanning chromosome 2 of the child, mother, and presumptive father demonstrated that the girl had inherited two maternal chromosome 2 homologues, whereas alleles for markers from other chromosomes were inherited from the father in a Mendelian fashion. The girl was homoallelic for informative markers mapping to the chromosomal regions 2p23-25, but she was heteroallelic for informative markers on the long arm of chromosome 2, establishing that the maternal UPD with partial isodisomy of the short arm was caused by a meiosis I nondisjunction event with genetic recombination (chiasmata in this region 2p23-25) during oogenesis.

Disaster planning, Part II. Disaster problems, issues, and challenges identified in the research literature.

Problems, issues, and challenges to disaster planning and selected disaster-planning principles are presented in this article. Methods of developing strategies to overcome resistance to disaster preparedness and measures to ensure that medical-response facilities will function are among the concepts discussed. Disaster-preparedness resources are provided.

Variables influencing the frictional behaviour of in vivo human skin.

In the past decades, skin friction research has focused on determining which variables are important to affect the frictional behaviour of in vivo human skin. Until now, there is still limited knowledge on these variables. This study has used a large dataset to identify the effect of variables on the human skin, subject characteristics and environmental conditions on skin friction. The data are obtained on 50 subjects (34 males and 16 females). Friction measurements represent the friction between in vivo human skin and an aluminium sample, assessed on three anatomical locations. The coefficient of friction increased significantly (p<0.05) with increasing age, increasing ambient temperature and increasing relative air humidity. A significant inversely proportional relationship was found between friction and both the amount of hair present on the skin and the height of the subject. Other outcome variables in this study were the hydration of the skin and the skin temperature.

[Clinical studies on the short term use of "Kavosan"]. / Klinische Untersuchung über die kurzfristige Anwendung von "Kavosan"

The inflammation and plaque-inhibiting effect of KAVOSAN was tested in 43 probands with gingivitis in two test series. Irrespective of the type of oral care, a statistically significant improvement in the degree of inflammation and a reduction of plaque were observed after application of the active agent when compared to a placebo preparation, both in cases where plaque was removed as well as cases where plaque was not removed.

Characteristics of cancer patient referrals to home care: a regional perspective.

Records of 609 cancer patients referred in 1979 to home health agencies in rural and urban health service regions in Illinois were abstracted. There was no difference in the overall utilization of home care between the two regions, but significant differences in referral characteristics were found between the two regions with respect to patient's disability level, disease stage, presence of concurrent medical conditions, and living arrangement, and to the source of referral.