PSON: A Serialization Format for IoT Sensor Networks.

In many Internet of Things (IoT) environments, the lifetime of a sensor is linked to its power supply. Sensor devices capture external information and transmit it. They also receive messages with control commands, which means that one of the largest computational overheads of sensor devices is spent on data serialization and deserialization tasks, as well as data transmission. The simpler the serialization/deserialization and the smaller the size of the information to be transmitted, the longer the lifetime of the sensor device and, consequently, the longer the service life. This paper presents a new serialization format (PSON) for these environments, which simplifies the serialization/deserialization tasks and minimizes the messages to be sent/received. The paper presents evaluation results with the most popular serialization formats, demonstrating the improvement obtained with the new PSON format.

Outlier Detection Transilience-Probabilistic Model for Wind Tunnels Based on Sensor Data.

Anomaly Detection research is focused on the development and application of methods that allow for the identification of data that are different enough-compared with the rest of the data set that is being analyzed-and considered anomalies (or, as they are more commonly called, outliers). These values mainly originate from two sources: they may be errors introduced during the collection or handling of the data, or they can be correct, but very different from the rest of the values. It is essential to correctly identify each type as, in the first case, they must be removed from the data set but, in the second case, they must be carefully analyzed and taken into account. The correct selection and use of the model to be applied to a specific problem is fundamental for the success of the anomaly detection study and, in many cases, the use of only one model cannot provide sufficient results, which can be only reached by using a mixture model resulting from the integration of existing and/or ad hoc-developed models. This is the kind of model that is developed and applied to solve the problem presented in this paper. This study deals with the definition and application of an anomaly detection model that combines statistical models and a new method defined by the authors, the Local Transilience Outlier Identification Method, in order to improve the identification of outliers in the sensor-obtained values of variables that affect the operations of wind tunnels. The correct detection of outliers for the variables involved in wind tunnel operations is very important for the industrial ventilation systems industry, especially for vertical wind tunnels, which are used as training facilities for indoor skydiving, as the incorrect performance of such devices may put human lives at risk. In consequence, the use of the presented model for outlier detection may have a high impact in this industrial sector. In this research work, a proof-of-concept is carried out using data from a real installation, in order to test the proposed anomaly analysis method and its application to control the correct performance of wind tunnels.

Physical frailty and health outcomes of fitness, hormones, psychological and disability in institutionalized older women: an exploratory association study.

Little is known about symptoms associated with frailty in institutionalized Portuguese older adults. This study aimed to investigate the association of frailty with diverse geriatric health characteristics. Cross-sectional data from 140 women aged between 75 and 85 years were analyzed. Data were collected between March and June, 2016. Fried's definition of physical frailty, psychological, sex hormones, disability and physical fitness outcomes were examined. The prevalence of frailty was 40%. Frail women had lower scores in cognitive and physical fitness, and higher scores for depressive symptoms and comorbidities. Significant correlations emerged between frailty and disability, fear of falling, aerobic resistance and cognition. Regression analyses and Receiver Operating Only aerobic resistance (sensitivity [93-96%]; specificity [74-77%], p = .001) and cognition (sensitivity [77-88%]; specificity [65-71%], p < .001) remained in the equation as independently related to physical frailty. A trend of significant differences in lower systolic blood pressure may reflect being less physically active and/or having more systemic comorbidity. Fried's model can be considered applicable. The 2-minute step test and the Mini Mental State Examination could better identify frail populations. The role of blood pressure and level of education in physical frailty status needs to be further explored.

Burnout in radiation therapists: Systematic review with meta-analysis.

The main aim of this review is to evaluate the burnout levels experienced by radiation therapists. PubMed, Lilacs and Google Scholar were searched for articles reporting burnout levels in radiation therapists. Only studies explicitly assessing burnout and using a validated instrument were retrieved. Meta-analyses were undertaken, based on articles that used the Maslach Burnout Inventory to assess burnout, to determine 95% confidence intervals for the overall prevalence of radiation therapists with high burnout risk in three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation or low personal accomplishment. Additionally, meta-analyses were also performed to determine the overall mean reported for each of the three dimensions. A total of eleven studies were found to be eligible for inclusion in this systematic review, nine of which used the Maslach Burnout Inventory questionnaire. The 95% confidence intervals for radiation therapists with high emotional exhaustion scores, high depersonalisation scores and low personal accomplishment scores were [24.8; 54.6], [10.1; 40.2] and [17.4; 41.6] respectively. The 95% confidence intervals for the corresponding means were found to be [20.0; 26.2], [5.1; 8.8] and [35.9, 39.6] respectively. The meta-analysis revealed an arguably high prevalence of burnout in radiation therapists in spite of it varying substantially between studies.

Thinger.io: An Open Source Platform for Deploying Data Fusion Applications in IoT Environments.

In the last two decades, data and information fusion has experienced significant development due mainly to advances in sensor technology. The sensors provide a continuous flow of data about the environment in which they are deployed, which is received and processed to build a dynamic estimation of the situation. With current technology, it is relatively simple to deploy a set of sensors in a specific geographic area, in order to have highly sensorized spaces. However, to be able to fusion and process the information coming from the data sources of a highly sensorized space, it is necessary to solve certain problems inherent to this type of technology. The challenge is analogous to what we can find in the field of the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT technology is characterized by providing the infrastructure capacity to capture, store, and process a huge amount of heterogeneous sensor data (in most cases, from different manufacturers), in the same way that it occurs in data fusion applications. This work is not simple, mainly due to the fact that there is no standardization of the technologies involved (especially within the communication protocols used by the connectable sensors). The solutions that we can find today are proprietary solutions that imply an important dependence and a high cost. The aim of this paper is to present a new open source platform with capabilities for the collection, management and analysis of a huge amount of heterogeneous sensor data. In addition, this platform allows the use of hardware-agnostic in a highly scalable and cost-effective manner. This platform is called Thinger.io. One of the main characteristics of Thinger.io is the ability to model sensorized environments through a high level language that allows a simple and easy implementation of data fusion applications, as we will show in this paper.

Using Resistin, glucose, age and BMI to predict the presence of breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The goal of this exploratory study was to develop and assess a prediction model which can potentially be used as a biomarker of breast cancer, based on anthropometric data and parameters which can be gathered in routine blood analysis. METHODS: For each of the 166 participants several clinical features were observed or measured, including age, BMI, Glucose, Insulin, HOMA, Leptin, Adiponectin, Resistin and MCP-1. Machine learning algorithms (logistic regression, random forests, support vector machines) were implemented taking in as predictors different numbers of variables. The resulting models were assessed with a Monte Carlo Cross-Validation approach to determine 95% confidence intervals for the sensitivity, specificity and AUC of the models. RESULTS: Support vector machines models using Glucose, Resistin, Age and BMI as predictors allowed predicting the presence of breast cancer in women with sensitivity ranging between 82 and 88% and specificity ranging between 85 and 90%. The 95% confidence interval for the AUC was [0.87, 0.91]. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide promising evidence that models combining age, BMI and metabolic parameters may be a powerful tool for a cheap and effective biomarker of breast cancer.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation as an Intervention Tool to Recover from Language, Swallowing and Attentional Deficits after Stroke: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Following a stroke event, patients often are severely affected by disabilities that hinder their quality-of-life. There are currently several rehabilitative options and strategies, and it is crucial to find the most effective interventions. The applicability of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to the recovery of nonmotor functions such as communication skills, swallowing ability and spatial attention after stroke remains important clinical questions. SUMMARY: We searched PubMed and ISI Web of Science for articles that used repetitive TMS protocols to rehabilitate post-stroke deficits. We analysed qualitatively 38 articles that met the eligibility criteria; of these, 21 dealt with aphasia, 8 with dysphagia, 8 with neglect and 1 with visual extinction. The efficacy of TMS as an intervention for post-stroke rehabilitation of these nonmotor deficits was studied as well as the current limitations were assessed. Key Messages: Most part of the included studies reported statistically significant functional improvements, supporting the use of TMS for the rehabilitation of aphasia, dysphagia and neglect. Future research, with larger sample sizes, is mandatory to confirm its efficacy, determine the optimal stimulation parameters and investigate inter-subject variability.

Choroidal thickness changes stratified by outcome in real-world treatment of diabetic macular edema.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) as a marker of outcome in real-world treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) and to correlate it with choroidal thicknesses (CT) collected around the fovea. METHODS: Prospective interventional case series included a total of 126 eyes from 126 patients with recently diagnosed DME treated with a 3-monthly loading dose of ranibizumab or aflibercept and PRN thereafter until 24 months (M). CT was manually measured in the central 3500 µm area, subfoveally (SFCT), at 1750 µm right and left from the center in the horizontal plane and at 1750 µm up and down from the center in the vertical plane, by OCT. Anatomic (10% decrease in central retinal thickness) and functional (gain ≥ 5 letters) responses were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. The areas under ROC curves were used to assess whether baseline SFCT was a predictor of outcome. RESULTS: CT significantly decreased in all follow-ups (3 months after the 3 injections' loading dose (3M), 6 months (6M), 12 months (12M), 18 months (18M), 24 months (24M)). SFCT and other CT parameters are correlated. SFCT decrease from baseline was related with treatment (p = 0.003 to p < 0.001) but not with anatomic (3M, p = 0.858; 6M p = 0.762) or functional response (3M, p = 0.746; 6M, p = 0.156). SFCT was not found to be predictive of anatomic (AUC = 0.575, p = 0.172) or functional (AUC = 0.515, p = 0.779) outcome. CONCLUSIONS: SFCT is a reliable marker of choroidal thickness. Baseline SFCT decreased with anti-VEGF treatment but did not predict DME outcome.

The Use of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Stroke Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES: Stroke is a leading cause of disability. Alternative and more effective techniques for stroke rehabilitation have been sought to overcome limitations of conventional therapies. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) arises as a promising tool in this context. This systematic review aims to provide a state of the art on the application of rTMS in stroke patients and to assess its effectiveness in clinical rehabilitation of motor function. METHODS: Studies included in this review were identified by searching PubMed and ISI Web of Science. The search terms were (rTMS OR "repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation") AND (stroke OR "cerebrovascular accident" OR CVA) AND (rehab OR rehabilitation OR recover*). The retrieved records were assessed for eligibility and the most relevant features extracted to a summary table. RESULTS: Seventy out of 691 records were deemed eligible, according to the selection criteria. The majority of the articles report rTMS showing potential in improving motor function, although some negative reports, all from randomized controlled trials, contradict this claim. Future studies are needed because there is a possibility that a bias for non-publication of negative results may be present. CONCLUSIONS: rTMS has been shown to be a promising tool for stroke rehabilitation, in spite of the lack of standard operational procedures and harmonization. Efforts should be devoted to provide a greater understanding of the underlying mechanisms and protocol standardization.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Assess the Neurobehavioral Impact of Dysphotopsia with Multifocal Intraocular Lenses.

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between dysphotopsia and neural responses in visual and higher-level cortical regions in patients who recently received multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) implants. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty patients 3 to 4 weeks after bilateral cataract surgery with diffractive IOL implantation and 15 age- and gender-matched control subjects. METHODS: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed when participants viewed low-contrast grating stimuli. A light source surrounded the stimuli in half of the runs to induce disability glare. Visual acuity, wavefront analysis, Quality of Vision (QoV) questionnaire, and psychophysical assessment were performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cortical activity (blood oxygen level dependent [BOLD] signal) in the primary visual cortex and in higher-level brain areas, including the attention network. RESULTS: When viewing low-contrast stimuli under glare, patients showed significant activation of the effort-related attention network in the early postoperative period, involving the frontal, middle frontal, parietal frontal, and postcentral gyrus (multisubject random-effects general linear model (GLM), P < 0.03). In contrast, controls showed only relative deactivation (due to lower visibility) of visual areas (occipital lobe and middle occipital gyrus, P < 0.03). Patients also had relatively stronger recruitment of cortical areas involved in learning (anterior cingulate gyrus), task planning, and solving (caudate body). Patients reporting greater symptoms induced by dysphotic symptoms showed significantly increased activity in several regions in frontoparietal circuits, as well as cingulate gyrus and caudate nucleus (q < 0.05). We found no correlation between QoV questionnaire scores and optical properties (total and higher order aberration, modulation transfer function, and Strehl ratio). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the association between patient-reported subjective difficulties and fMRI outcomes, independent of optical parameters and psychophysical performance. The increased activity of cortical areas dedicated to attention (frontoparietal circuits), to learning and cognitive control (cingulate), and to task goals (caudate) likely represents the beginning of the neuroadaptation process to multifocal IOLs.

Glucose uptake and lipid metabolism are impaired in epicardial adipose tissue from heart failure patients with or without diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a complex metabolic disease, and cardiovascular disease is a leading complication of diabetes. Epicardial adipose tissue surrounding the heart displays biochemical, thermogenic, and cardioprotective properties. However, the metabolic cross-talk between epicardial fat and the myocardium is largely unknown. This study sought to understand epicardial adipose tissue metabolism from heart failure patients with or without diabetes. We aimed to unravel possible differences in glucose and lipid metabolism between human epicardial and subcutaneous adipocytes and elucidate the potential underlying mechanisms involved in heart failure. Insulin-stimulated [(14)C]glucose uptake and isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis were measured in isolated epicardial and subcutaneous adipocytes. The expression of genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism was analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in adipocytes. In addition, epicardial and subcutaneous fatty acid composition was analyzed by high-resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The difference between basal and insulin conditions in glucose uptake was significantly decreased (P= 0.006) in epicardial compared with subcutaneous adipocytes. Moreover, a significant (P< 0.001) decrease in the isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis was also observed when the two fat depots were compared, and it was strongly correlated with lipolysis, lipid storage, and inflammation-related gene expression. Moreover, the fatty acid composition of these tissues was significantly altered by diabetes. These results emphasize potential metabolic differences between both fat depots in the presence of heart failure and highlight epicardial fat as a possible therapeutic target in situ in the cardiac microenvironment.

Catch-up growth in term and preterm infants after surgical closure of ventricular septal defect in the first year of life.

UNLABELLED: Growth impairment in infants with unrestrictive ventricular septal defects (VSD) is common, and normalisation of growth has been reported after surgical correction. Literature is inconsistent about growth velocity after surgery in term and preterm infants. We aimed to establish the pattern of catch-up growth in term and preterm infants submitted to VSD surgical correction before 1 year of age. Fifty-two infants (41 term, 11 preterm) were studied. Anthropometric data at birth, surgery and 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery were collected retrospectively. Statistic analyses were performed in SPSS® version 21. At the time of surgery, growth was severely impaired in term and preterm infants. Term infants underwent a period of fast growth within the first 6 months after surgery, achieving posteriorly a normal growth pattern, as both weight and height were not significantly different from the reference population at 24 months after surgery. Preterms caught-up later than term infants but with a significant weight gain within 3 months after surgery. CONCLUSION: Early surgical repair of VSD leads to a significant acceleration of growth within 3 to 6 months after surgery, for both groups. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Growth impairment in infants with unrestrictive ventricular septal defects is well documented in literature. • Surgical correction in the first months of life is the current option for most ventricular septal defects, leading to a more favourable growth pattern. • Rapid growth during infancy may be associated with the development of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, obesity and cardiovascular disease later in life. What is New: • Literature is inconsistent about catch-up growth velocities after ventricular correction for term infants. • Preterm infants have never been enrolled in previous studies that aimed to establish a pattern of growth after surgery. • This group of children, who underwent a rapid post-surgery catch-up growth that follows a period of failure to thrive, may be at a higher risk of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

A Miocene pyrgodesmid millipede (Polydesmida: Pyrgodesmidae) from Mexico.

A new fossil species of pyrgodesmid millipede (Polydesmida: Pyrgodesmidae) placed in the genus Myrmecodesmus Silvestri, 1910 is described. The type materials are two amber inclusions, male and female specimens that come from Miocene strata in Chiapas, Mexico. Myrmecodesmus antiquus sp. nov. has collum with 10 dorsal tubercles; without porosteles or ozopores; legs of the rings 2-9 with a short projection on the prefemur in both the female and male. Myrmecodesmus antiquus sp. nov is the first fossil record of the genus Myrmecodesmus. This is a New World taxon that belongs to the pantropical family Pyrgodesmidae. Thus, Myrmecodesmus antiquus sp. nov expands the range of the genus to the Miocene tropics in Middle America.

Chair-based exercise programs in institutionalized older women: Salivary steroid hormones, disabilities and frailty changes.

PURPOSE: Many people experience aging-related losses in different physical domains, which leads to a condition often called physical frailty (PF). The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of two different, 28-weeks, class chair-exercise protocols on salivary steroid hormones (SH), PF, and functional disabilities (FD) in frail older women. METHODS: A sample of older frail individuals (n = 60, 817.84 years) participated in the study and were divided into three groups: chair elastic-band muscle strength exercises (CSE), n = 20), chair-multimodal exercise (CME, n = 21) and a control non-exercise group (CGne, n = 19). Both exercise programs consisted of 45 min of supervised chair-based exercise group classes, carried out 3 times/week. CME participants performed a progressive training using walking, mobility and body weight resistance exercises. The CSE participants exercised using an elastic-band system of progressive exercises. Both CSE and CME followed a circuit training protocol. The controls did not change their usual lifestyle. The indicators of PF, FD and SH concentrations were analyzed before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Both exercise programs diminished the PF status showing significant time and time versus treatment interactions (p < .01). An increase in the CME group, between baseline and 14-weeks, and in the CSE group, after 28 weeks, for Testosterone concentrations was observed (p < .01). Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) increased after 28-weeks in the CME group and decreased in the CGne after the same period (p < .05). Both exercise programs decreased the negative scores of several FD domains, specially fear of falling that showed significant effects with time (p < .01), and time vs intervention (p < .05). CONCLUSION: Both chair-exercise based programs were effective in stimulating positive changes in physical health and in steroid hormone responses, especially in DHEA. The control group did show a negative trend towards an increased PF status and decreased levels of SH. It is crucial for public health to identify the main factors associated with Functional Disability and Physical Frailty that underlie the development of new methods for complementary therapies, such as the use of low doses of hormonal supplementation combined with long-term exercise interventions.

Exploring the potential of salivary and blood immune biomarkers to elucidate physical frailty in institutionalized older women.

Identification of older populations at increased risk of physical frailty using biochemical approaches could improve screening accuracy. The aim of this study was to study the relationship between immune markers and independent components of physical frailty in institutionalized older women. A sample of 358 institutionalized-dwelling women, aged 75 years and older, were assessed for biosocial factors and general health status, pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines, sex steroid hormones, salivary anti-microbial proteins, blood cells counts and the five Fried's physical frailty components that allowed for classification of the sample into frail, prefrailty and not-frail subgroups. Results showed that cytokines IL-6, IL-10, IL-1ß, TNF-α, and the TNF-α/IL-10 ratio, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, salivary cortisol and α-amylase were all associated with frailty. Weakness and Exhaustion were the frailty components that were most strongly associated with these biomarkers. Salivary α-amylase was the biomarker that best explained frailty, as it was associated with all five components of physical frailty, and could be used as a potential screening tool. Future research needs to investigate the causal-effect association between salivary innate immune makers, susceptibility to infection and frailty.

Effectiveness of Acupuncture on Pain, Functional Disability, and Quality of Life in Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Hand: Results of a Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by pain, functional disability, poor quality of life (QoL), high socioeconomic impact, and annual costs of over $56 billion in the United States. Acupuncture (AC) is widely in use; however, studies show severe methodological shortcomings, did not consider the functional diagnosis for the allocation of acupoints and their results showed no differences between verum and control groups. OBJECTIVE: The authors aimed to objectively assess the safety and efficacy of AC treatments for RA. METHODS: 105 RA patients with a functional diagnosis of a "Pivot syndrome" or "Turning Point syndrome" were randomly assigned to (1) verum-AC (verum acupoints), (2) control-AC (sham acupoints-points outside of the conduits/meridians and of the extra-conduits), or (3) waiting list (each group n = 35). AC groups experienced the exact same number, depth, and stimulation of needles. Assessments took place before and 5 min after AC with follow-ups over 4 weeks. RESULTS: (1) Verum-AC significantly improved self-reported pain (Z = -5.099, p < 0.001) and pressure algometry (Z = -5.086, p < 0.001); hand grip strength (Z = -5.086, p < 0.001) and arm strength (Z = -5.086, p < 0.001); health status improved significantly (p < 0.001, Z = -4.895); QoL improved significantly in 7/8 survey domains; and number of swollen joints (Z = -2.862, p = 0.004) and tender joints (Z = -3.986, p < 0.001) significantly decreased. (2) Control-AC showed no significant changes, except in self-reported pain improvement. (3) Waiting list group showed an overall worsening. CONCLUSION: This is the first double-blind controlled study on AC in RA of the hand that objectively and specifically assesses positive effects supporting its integration in rheumatology. Acupoint allocation according to Chinese Medicine functional diagnoses is extremely relevant to assess AC effectiveness in a patient group primarily defined by a "western" medicine diagnosis. Based on clear allocation criteria for acupoints, the authors minimized the possible bias of unspecific and suggestive effects on the control group, showed the specific effects of the points chosen, improved efficacy, and identified an evidence base for AC.

Ischemic Stroke Incidence in Patients With Microvascular Ocular Motor Palsy Versus Patients With Lacunar Ischemic Stroke.

OBJECTIVE: Presumed microvascular ischemia is the most frequent cause of ocular motor palsy (OMP). Ischemic stroke incidence after an episode of microvascular OMP (mOMP) is not established, contrasting with other common vascular conditions, such as lacunar ischemic stroke (LS). We sought to compare the incidence of subsequent ischemic stroke between mOMP and LS populations. METHODS: A retrospective observational analysis was conducted on acute patients presenting with either mOMP or LS. A propensity score match was applied to ensure a balance between groups. We compared the incidence of subsequent ischemic stroke during an 80-month follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 110 patients were included in the study (57, mOMPs; 53, LS). During follow-up, the annual occurrence rate of ischemic stroke was 2.1% per year in mOMP group and 0.6% per year in the LS group. After performing Cox regression, we found no statistical significance difference between groups in the incidence of subsequent ischemic stroke (P=0.801). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with presumed mOCP seem to share similar incidence of subsequent ischemic stroke with patients with LS. Presumed mOCP may be an underrecognized independent risk factor for ischemic stroke.

Association between Adipokines and Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Adipose tissue dysfunction has been implicated in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease. However, the involvement of adipokines, particularly adiponectin, remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To compare serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of adiponectin, leptin and leptin-to-adiponectin ratio in patients within the spectrum of Alzheimer's disease and evaluate their relationship with classical biomarkers and their value as markers of progression. METHODS: Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 71) and Alzheimer's dementia (AD, n = 53) subjects were consecutively recruited for serum and CSF adiponectin and leptin determination using an analytically validated commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Correlations were explored using adjusted Spearman's correlation coefficients. A logistic regression model and ROC analysis were performed to evaluate the staging predictive value of adipokines. RESULTS: Serum adiponectin was 33% higher in AD when compared to MCI patients. Adiponectin CSF levels, similar in both groups, were positively correlated with Aß42 and cognitive function, though only in women. The area under the ROC curve was 0.673 (95% CI:0.57-0.78) for serum adiponectin as predictor of dementia stage and the cut-off 10.85µg/ml maximized the sum of specificity (87%) and sensitivity (44%). CONCLUSION: Although longitudinal studies are required, we hypothesize that higher serum adiponectin in AD patients constitutes a strategy to compensate possible central signaling defects. In addition, adiponectin might be specifically assigned to neuroprotective functions in women and eventually involved in the female-biased incidence of Alzheimer's disease.

A Novel Ecological Approach Reveals Early Executive Function Impairments in Huntington's Disease.

Introduction: Impairments in executive functions are common in neurogenetic disorders such as Huntington's disease (HD) and are thought to significantly influence the patient's functional status. Reliable tools with higher ecological validity that can assess and predict the impact of executive dysfunction in daily-life performance are needed. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel non-immersive virtual reality task ("EcoKitchen") created with the purpose of capturing cognitive and functional changes shown by HD carriers without clinical manifestations of the disease (Premanifest HD), in a more realistic setting. Materials and Methods: We designed a virtual reality task with three blocks of increasing executive load. The performance of three groups (Controls, CTRL; Premanifest HD individuals, HP; Early Manifest HD patients, HD) was compared in four main components of the study protocol: the EcoKitchen; a subjective (self-report) measure - "The Adults and Older Adults Functional Assessment Inventory (IAFAI)"; the "Behavioural Assessment of Dysexecutive Syndrome battery (BADS)"; and a conventional neuropsychological test battery. We also examined statistical associations between EcoKitchen and the other executive, functional and clinical measures used. Results: The HD group showed deficits in all the assessment methods used. In contrast, the HP group was only found to be impaired in the EcoKitchen task, particularly in the most cognitively demanding blocks, where they showed a higher number of errors compared to the CTRL group. Statistically significant correlations were identified between the EcoKitchen, measures of the other assessment tools, and HD clinical features. Discussion: The EcoKitchen task, developed as an ecological executive function assessment tool, was found to be sensitive to early deficits in this domain. Critically, in premanifest HD individuals, it identifies dysfunction prior to symptom onset. Further it adds a potential tool for diagnosis and management of the patients' real-life problems.

Sonographic Criteria Predictive of Malignant Thyroid Nodules: Which Lesions Should be Biopsied?

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the ultrasound features of thyroid nodules and their association with malignancy, focusing on establishing feature-oriented ultrasound criteria to determine proper management of a thyroid nodule. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sample of 379 thyroid nodules were biopsied (from a total of 357 patients aged 59.8 ± 14.8 years) and 300 were included in the final study (271 benign nodules and 29 malignant ones). Ultrasound features were recorded for each nodule: size, echogenicity, homogeneity, contours, shape, texture, peripheral halo, calcifications, and the presence of adenopathy. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test and chi-square test. The sensitivity and the specificity of variables seen to have a statistically significant association with the malignancy of nodules were assessed and a logistic regression was performed. RESULTS: A taller-than-wide shape, an ill-defined contour, the presence of a halo, microcalcifications, and adenopathy were found to have a statistically significant relationship (P < 0.05) with malignancy, although with a low sensitivity and a high specificity. The presence of at least one suspicious feature yields great sensitivity (89.7%) in detecting malignant disease. CONCLUSIONS: The ultrasound features of thyroid nodules alone do not allow the radiologist to make a confident diagnosis regarding the malignancy of a nodule without performing a biopsy. However, a nodule showing a taller-than-wide shape, microcalcifications, a peripheral halo, an ill-defined contour, or associated adenopathy should be considered for cytology.