Four New Steroidal Saponins from the Roots of Dracaena cambodiana with NO Production Inhibition Activity in LPS Activated RAW 264.7 Cells.

Seven steroidal saponins including three new 16,23-cyclocholestanes (1-3) and one new pregane (4) were isolated from the roots of Dracaena cambodiana Pierre ex Gagnep. Their chemical structures were elucidated to be (23R,25R)-26-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-16,23-cyclocholesta-5,17(20)-dien-22-one-3ß,16α,26-triol-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)]-ß-D-glucopyranoside (1), (23R,25R)-26-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-16,23-cyclocholesta-5,17,20(22)-trien-3ß,22,26-triol-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (2), (23R,25R)-16,23-cyclocholesta-5,16,20(22)-trien-3ß,22,26-triol-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (3), 3ß-[(O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)]-ß-D-gluco-pyranosyl)oxy]-pregna-5,17(20)-diene-16-one-20-carboxylic acid 4''''-O-ß-D-glucopyranosylisopentyl ester (4), cambodianoside A (5), diosbulbiside C (6), and diosbulbiside D (7), by IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra. Compounds 1 and 4-7 inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide activated RAW 264.7 cells with IC50 values ranging from 19.03±1.84 to 67.92±3.81 µM, whereas compounds 2 and 3 were inactive with IC50 values over 100 µM.

Risk Factors for Hospitalization Duration Longer Than 24 Hours Following Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation of Liver Tumours.

PURPOSE: Prior studies have described complications of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of liver tumours. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for hospitalization duration longer than 24 hours following RFA of liver tumours. METHODS: This retrospective, single-centre study included patients with liver tumours undergoing RFA between October 2017 and July 2020. Medical records were reviewed to collect patient, tumours, and procedure characteristics for each RFA session. The association between potential risk factors and duration of hospitalization (less than or more than 24 hours) was analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. RESULTS: Our study included 291 patients (mean age: 65.2 ± 11.2 [standard deviation]; 201 men) undergoing 324 RFA sessions. Sixty-eight sessions (21.0%) resulted in hospitalization of more than 24 hours. Multivariate analysis identified each additional needle insertion per session (OR 1.4; 95% CI [1.1-1.9]; P = .02), RFA performed in segment V (OR 2.8; 95% CI [1.4-5.7]; P = .004), and use of artificial pneumothorax (OR 14.5; 95% CI [1.4-146.0]; P = .02) as potential risk factors. A history of hepatic encephalopathy (OR 2.6; 95% CI [1.1-6.0]; P = .03) was only significant in univariate analysis. Post-hoc, subgroup analysis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (69.8%) did not identify other risk factors. CONCLUSION: Risk factors for a hospitalization duration longer than 24 hours include a higher number of needle insertions per session, radiofrequency ablation in segment V, and use of an artificial pneumothorax.

Comparison of Radiologists and Deep Learning for US Grading of Hepatic Steatosis.

Background Screening for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is suboptimal due to the subjective interpretation of US images. Purpose To evaluate the agreement and diagnostic performance of radiologists and a deep learning model in grading hepatic steatosis in NAFLD at US, with biopsy as the reference standard. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included patients with NAFLD and control patients without hepatic steatosis who underwent abdominal US and contemporaneous liver biopsy from September 2010 to October 2019. Six readers visually graded steatosis on US images twice, 2 weeks apart. Reader agreement was assessed with use of κ statistics. Three deep learning techniques applied to B-mode US images were used to classify dichotomized steatosis grades. Classification performance of human radiologists and the deep learning model for dichotomized steatosis grades (S0, S1, S2, and S3) was assessed with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) on a separate test set. Results The study included 199 patients (mean age, 53 years ± 13 [SD]; 101 men). On the test set (n = 52), radiologists had fair interreader agreement (0.34 [95% CI: 0.31, 0.37]) for classifying steatosis grades S0 versus S1 or higher, while AUCs were between 0.49 and 0.84 for radiologists and 0.85 (95% CI: 0.83, 0.87) for the deep learning model. For S0 or S1 versus S2 or S3, radiologists had fair interreader agreement (0.30 [95% CI: 0.27, 0.33]), while AUCs were between 0.57 and 0.76 for radiologists and 0.73 (95% CI: 0.71, 0.75) for the deep learning model. For S2 or lower versus S3, radiologists had fair interreader agreement (0.37 [95% CI: 0.33, 0.40]), while AUCs were between 0.52 and 0.81 for radiologists and 0.67 (95% CI: 0.64, 0.69) for the deep learning model. Conclusion Deep learning approaches applied to B-mode US images provided comparable performance with human readers for detection and grading of hepatic steatosis. Published under a CC BY 4.0 license. Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Tuthill in this issue.

What predicts durable symptom relief of uterine fibroids treated with MRI-guided focused ultrasound? A multicenter trial in 8 academic centers.

OBJECTIVE: To identify variables predictive of durable clinical success after MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment of uterine fibroids. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective, multicenter trial, 99 women with symptomatic uterine fibroids were treated using MRgFUS. Pelvic MRI was obtained at baseline and treatment day. The Uterine Fibroid Symptom-Quality of Life questionnaire was used to calculate a symptom severity score (SSS) at baseline and 6, 12, 24, and 36 months following treatment. Clinical, imaging, and treatment variables were correlated with symptom reduction sustained through the 12- and 24-month time points using univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses. A novel parameter, the ratio of non-perfused volume to total fibroid load (NPV/TFL), was developed to determine association with durable outcomes. RESULTS: Post-treatment, mean symptom severity decreased at the 6-, 12-, 24-, and 36-month follow-ups (p < 0.001, all time points). In univariable analysis, three variables predicted treatment success (defined by ≥ 30-point improvement in SSS) sustained at both the 12-month and 24-month time points: increasing ratio of NPV/TFL (p = 0.002), decreasing total fibroid load (p = 0.04), and the absence of T2-weighted Funaki type 2 fibroids (p = 0.02). In multivariable analysis, the NPV/TFL was the sole predictor of durable clinical success (p = 0.01). Patients with ratios below 30% had less improvement in SSS and lacked durable clinical response compared with those between 30-79 (p = 0.03) and ≥ 80% (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Increased non-perfused volume relative to total fibroid volume was significantly associated with durable reduction of symptoms of abnormal uterine bleeding and bulk bother. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Patient selection for sustained clinical benefit should emphasize those with likelihood of achieving high ablation ratios, as determined by imaging (e.g., device access, Funaki type) and by considering the total fibroid load, not just the primary symptomatic fibroid. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial ID: NCT01285960. KEY POINTS: • Patient selection/treatment approach associated with durable symptom relief in MRI-guided focused ultrasound ablation of uterine fibroids remains unclear. • The ablation ratio, non-perfused volume/total fibroid volume, was positively associated with sustained symptom relief in both bleeding and bulk bother at 1- and 2-year follow-ups. • Selecting patients with imaging features that favor a high ratio of ablation to total fibroid load (including non-targeted fibroids) is the main factor in predicting durability of symptom relief after uterine fibroid treatment.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor overexpression in taste buds diminishes chemotherapy induced taste loss.

Vismodegib is used in patients suffering from advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC), but 100% of the patients taking it report dysgeusia and 50% discontinue the treatment. Treatment with neurotrophic factors can stimulate neuronal survival and functional improvement in injured organs. Here, we analysed novel transgenic mouse lines in which brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is overexpressed in taste buds, to examine whether higher levels of BDNF would reduce or prevent negative side effects of vismodegib in the taste system. BDNF plays crucial roles for development, target innervation, and survival of gustatory neurons and taste buds. The behavioural test in this study showed that vehicle-treated wild-type mice prefered 10 mM sucrose over water, whereas vismodegib treatment in wild-type mice caused total taste loss. Gustducin-BDNF mice had a significantly increased preference for low concentration of sucrose solution over water compared to wild-type mice, and most importantly the transgenic mice were able to detect low concentrations of sucrose following vismodegib treatment. We evaluated taste cell morphology, identity, innervation and proliferation using immunohistochemistry. All drug-treated mice exhibited deficits, but because of a possible functional upcycled priming of the peripheral gustatory system, GB mice demonstrated better morphological preservation of the peripheral gustatory system. Our study indicates that overexpression of BDNF in taste buds plays a role in preventing degeneration of taste buds. Counteracting the negative side effects of vismodegib treatment might improve compliance and achieve better outcome in patients suffering from advanced BCC.

Contribution of Solvents to Geometrical Preference in the Z/E Equilibrium of N-Phenylthioacetamide.

We studied the Z/E preference of N-phenylthioacetamide (thioacetanilide) derivatives in various solvents by means of 1H NMR spectroscopy, as well as molecular dynamics (MD) and other computational analyses. Our experimental results indicate that the Z/E isomer preference of secondary (NH)thioamides of N-phenylthioacetamides shows substantial solvent dependency, whereas the corresponding amides do not show solvent dependency of the Z/E isomer ratios. Detailed study of the solvent effects based on molecular dynamics simulations revealed that there are two main modes of hydrogen (H)-bond formation between solvent and (NH)thioacetamide, which influence the Z/E isomer preference of (NH)thioamides. DFT calculations of NH-thioamide in the presence of one or two explicit solvent molecules in the continuum solvent model can effectively mimic the solvation by multiple solvent molecules surrounding the thioamide in MD simulations and shed light on the precise nature of the interactions between thioamide and solvent. Orbital interaction analysis showed that, counterintuitively, the Z/E preference of NH-thioacetamides is mainly determined by steric repulsion, while that of sterically congested N-methylthioacetamides is mainly determined by thioamide conjugation.

Application of deep learning models to detect coastlines and shorelines.

Identifying and monitoring coastlines and shorelines play an important role in coastal erosion assessment around the world. The application of deep learning models was used in this study to detect coastlines and shorelines in Vietnam using high-resolution satellite images and different object segmentation methods. The aims are to (1) propose indicators to identify coastlines and shorelines; (2) build deep learning (DL) models to automatically interpret coastlines and shorelines from high-resolution remote sensing images; and (3) apply DL-trained models to monitor coastal erosion in Vietnam. Eight DL models were trained based on four artificial-intelligent-network structures, including U-Net, U2-Net, U-Net3+, and DexiNed. The high-resolution images collected from Google Earth Pro software were used as input data for training all models. As a result, the U-Net using an input-image size of 512 × 512 provides the highest performance of 98% with a loss function of 0.16. The interpretation results of this model were used effectively for the coastline and shoreline identification in assessing coastal erosion in Vietnam due to sea-level rise in storm events over 20 years. The outcomes proved that while the shoreline is ideal for observing seasonal tidal changes or the immediate motions of current waves, the coastline is suitable to assess coastal erosion caused by the influence of sea-level rise during storms. This paper has provided a broad scope of how the U-Net model can be used to predict the coastal changes over vietnam and the world.

Reproductive Span of Caenorhabditis Elegans is Extended by Microbacterium Sp.

The reproductive span (RS) of organisms could be affected by different factors during their lifetime. In the model nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, RS is affected by both genetic and environmental factors. However, none of the factors identified so far were related to environmental bacteria, which may incidentally appear anywhere in the habitats of C. elegans. We aimed to find environmental bacteria that could affect the RS of C. elegans and related species. We tested 109 bacterial isolates and found that Microbacterium sp. CFBb37 increased the RS and lifespan of C. elegans but reduced its brood size. We studied the effect of M. sp. CFBb37 on the RS of Caenorhabditis briggsae, Caenorhabditis tropicalis, and another Rhabditidae family species, Protorhabditis sp., and found similar trends of RS extension in all three cases, suggesting that this bacterial species may induce the extension of RS broadly among Caenorhabditis species and possibly for many other Rhabditidae. This work will facilitate future research on the mechanism underlying the bacterial extension of RS of nematodes and possibly other animals.

Dietary flavonoids are associated with longitudinal treatment outcomes in neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: To assess whether dietary intake of flavonoids are associated with longitudinal treatment outcomes of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). METHODS: 547 participants with nAMD were recruited at baseline, 494 were followed-up after receiving 12 months of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy. Baseline dietary intake of flavonoids was determined using a validated food frequency questionnaire. At follow-up, presence of intra-retinal and sub-retinal fluid (IRF and SRF), retinal pigment epithelium detachment and measurements of central macular thickness (CMT) were recorded from optical coherence tomography scans. Visual acuity (VA) was documented using LogMAR charts. RESULTS: Participants in the first tertile of intake of the flavonol quercetin, and the flavan-3-ols epigallocatechin-3-gallate and epigallocatechin had significantly worse vision than participants in the third tertile-multivariable-adjusted least square (LS) mean VA: 14.68 vs. 19.53 (p = 0.04); 14.06 vs. 18.89 (p = 0.04); 13.86 vs. 18.86 (p = 0.03), respectively. Participants in the first compared to the third tertile of flavan-3-ol, epigallocatechin-3-gallate and epigallocatechin intake all had a twofold higher risk of IRF, multivariable-adjusted p trend of: 0.03, 0.01 and 0.02, respectively. The first vs. the third tertile of tea intake had significantly worse vision (LS mean VA: 13.49 vs. 19.04, p = 0.02), increased risk of IRF (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.18-3.85) and greater mean CMT (279.59 µm vs. 256.52 µm, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Higher intakes of dietary flavonoids, specifically flavonols and flavan-3-ols, could be associated with better long-term treatment outcomes in nAMD patients receiving anti-VEGF therapy. Confirmation of these associations in interventional studies could result in promising new therapeutic approaches to the treatment of nAMD.

Adolescent Technology, Sleep, and Physical Activity Time in Two US Cohorts.

The advent of internet-enabled mobile digital devices has transformed US adolescent technology use over the last decade, yet little is known about how these changes map onto other health-related behaviors. We provide a national profile of how contemporary technology use fits into adolescents' daily health lifestyles compared to the previous generation, with particular attention to whether and for whom technology use displaces time spent in sleep or physical activity. Time diaries were collected from 11-17 year olds in 2002-03 (N=1,139) and 2014-16 (N=527) through the US Panel Study of Income Dynamics Child Development Supplement. Contemporary adolescents spent 40 minutes more per week in technology-focused activities, but their composition was more varied compared to the earlier cohort. Contemporary technology use was predictive of less time in physical activity, and adolescents engaged in frequent video game play spent less time in physical activity compared to peers with other technology use profiles.

Function of PoLAE2, a laeA homolog, in appressorium formation and cAMP signal transduction in Pyricularia oryzae.

A novel homolog of laeA, a global regulatory gene in filamentous fungi, was identified from Pyricularia oryzae. A deletion mutant of the homolog (PoLAE2) exhibited lowered intracellular cAMP levels, and decreased appressorium formation on non-host surface; the decrease was recovered using exogenous cAMP and IBMX, indicating that PoLAE2 deletion affected the cAMP signaling pathway.

Human Factors Contributions to the Development of Standards for Displays of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Support of Detect-and-Avoid.

OBJECTIVE: The aim is to provide a high-level synthesis of human factors research that contributed to the development of detect-and-avoid display requirements for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). BACKGROUND: The integration of UAS into the U.S. National Airspace System is a priority under the Federal Aviation Administration's Modernization and Reform Act. For UAS to have routine access to the National Airspace System, UAS must have detect-and-avoid capabilities. One human factors challenge is to determine how to display information effectively to remote pilots for performing detect-and-avoid tasks. METHOD: A high-level review of research informing the display requirements for UAS detect-and-avoid is provided. In addition, description of the contributions of human factors researchers in the writing of the requirements is highlighted. RESULTS: Findings from human-in-the-loop simulations are used to illustrate how evidence-based guidelines and requirements were established for the display of information to assist pilots in performing detect-and-avoid. Implications for human factors are discussed. CONCLUSION: Human factors researchers and engineers made many contributions to generate the data used to justify the detect-and-avoid display requirements. Human factors researchers must continue to be involved in the development of standards to ensure that requirements are evidence-based and take into account human operator performance and human factors principles and guidelines. APPLICATION: The research presented in this paper is relevant to the design of UAS, the writing of standards and requirements, and the work in human-systems integration.

Evaluation of the routine use of pelvic MRI in women presenting with symptomatic uterine fibroids: When is pelvic MRI useful?

BACKGROUND: Pelvic ultrasound (US) diagnosis of uterine fibroids may overlook coexisting gynecological conditions that contribute to women's symptoms. PURPOSE: To determine the added value of pelvic MRI for women diagnosed with symptomatic fibroids by US, and to identify clinical factors associated with additional MRI findings. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective observational study. POPULATION: In all, 367 consecutive women with fibroids diagnosed by US and referred to our multidisciplinary fibroid center between 2013-2017. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: All patients had both pelvic US and MRI prior to their consultations. MRIs were performed at 1.5 T or 3 T and included multiplanar T2 -weighted sequences, and precontrast and postcontrast T1 -weighted imaging. ASSESSMENT: Demographics, symptoms, uterine fibroid symptom severity scores, and health-related quality of life scores, as well as imaging findings were evaluated. STATISTICAL TESTS: Patients were separated into two subgroups according to whether MRI provided additional findings to the initial US. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: Pelvic MRI provided additional information in 162 patients (44%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 39-49%). The most common significant findings were adenomyosis (22%), endometriosis (17%), and partially endocavitary fibroids (15%). Women with pelvic pain, health-related quality of life scores less than 30 out of 100, or multiple fibroids visualized on US had greater odds of additional MRI findings (odds ratio [OR] 1.68, 2.26, 1.63; P = 0.02, 0.004, 0.03, respectively), while nulliparous women had reduced odds (OR 0.55, P = 0.01). Patients with additional MRI findings were treated less often with uterine fibroid embolization (14% vs. 36%, P < 0.001) or MR-guided focused US (1% vs. 5%, P = 0.04), and more often with medical management (17% vs. 8%, P = 0.01). DATA CONCLUSION: Pelvic MRI revealed additional findings in more than 40% of women presenting with symptoms initially ascribed to fibroids by US. Further evaluation using MRI is particularly useful for parous women with pelvic pain, poor quality of life scores, and/or multiple fibroids. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Technical Efficacy: Stage 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019.

Are fibroid and bony pelvis characteristics associated with urinary and pelvic symptom severity?

BACKGROUND: Urinary and pelvic floor symptoms often are attributed to size and location of uterine fibroid tumors. However, direct supporting evidence that links increased size to worsening symptoms is scant and limited to ultrasound evaluation of fibroid tumors. Because management of fibroid tumors is targeted towards symptomatic relief, the identification of fibroid and pelvic characteristics that are associated with worse symptoms is vital to the optimization of therapies and prevention needless interventions. OBJECTIVE: We examined the correlation between urinary, pelvic floor and fibroid symptoms, and fibroid size and location using precise uterine fibroid and bony pelvis characteristics that were obtained from magnetic resonance imaging. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review (2013-2017) of a multidisciplinary fibroid clinic identified 338 women who had been examined via pelvic magnetic resonance imaging, Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory questionnaire (score 0-300), and a Uterine Fibroid Symptoms questionnaire (score 1-100). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess the influence of clinical factors and magnetic resonance imaging findings on scaled Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory and Uterine Fibroid Symptoms scores. Data were analyzed with statistical software. RESULTS: Our cohort of 338 women had a median Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory of 72.7 (interquartile range, 41-112.3). Increased Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory score was associated with clinical factors of higher body mass index (P<.001), noncommercial insurance (P<.001), increased parity (P=.001), and a history of incontinence surgery (P=.003). Uterine volume, dominant fibroid volume, dimension and location, and fibroid tumor location relative to the bony pelvis structure did not reach significance when compared with pelvic floor symptom severity. The mean Uterine Fibroid Symptoms score was 52.0 (standard deviation, 23.5). An increased Uterine Fibroid Symptoms score was associated with dominant submucosal fibroid tumors (P=.011), body mass index (P<.0016), and a clinical history of anemia (P<.001) or any hormonal treatment for fibroid tumors (P=.009). CONCLUSION: Contrary to common belief, in this cohort of women who sought fibroid care, size and position of fibroid tumors or uterus were not associated with pelvic floor symptom severity. Whereas, bleeding symptom severity was associated with dominant submucosal fibroid tumor and previous hormonal treatment. Careful attention to clinical factors such as body mass index and medical history is recommended when pelvic floor symptoms are evaluated in women with uterine fibroid tumors.

Comparison of End-Expiration Versus End-Inspiration Breath-Holds With Respect to Respiratory Motion Artifacts on T1-Weighted Abdominal MRI.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to compare respiratory motion artifact and diagnostic image quality between end-inspiration and end-expiration breath-holding techniques on unenhanced and contrast-enhanced axial T1-weighted MRI of the liver. MATERIALS AND METHODS. This retrospective observational study included 50 consecutive subjects undergoing axial T1-weighted liver MRI, with unenhanced images acquired with both end-inspiration and end-expiration breath-holding techniques, and with contrast-enhanced images acquired for 47 of the subjects with either the end-inspiration or the end-expiration breath-holding technique. Three radiologists performed blinded independent evaluations of each unenhanced sequence, contrast-enhanced sequence, and subtraction (contrast-enhanced minus unenhanced) image, using a scale ranging from 1 point (denoting nondiagnostic imaging) to 5 points (denoting no artifacts). Blinded side-by-side assessment of each pair of unenhanced sequences was also performed. Two-tailed Wilcoxon signed rank and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to assess statistical significance. RESULTS. A significant improvement in motion scores was noted for sequences acquired in end-expiration, compared with those acquired in end-inspiration, for unenhanced sequences (mean, 3.35 vs 2.80; p < 0.00001), contrast-enhanced sequences (mean, 4.02 vs 3.46; p = 0.0003), and subtraction images (mean, 3.67 vs 2.41; p < 0.00001). Severe degradation of image quality or nondiagnostic image quality was noted for 15% of unenhanced images (23/150), 0% of contrast-enhanced images, and 8% (5/63) of subtraction images acquired on end-expiration, whereas it was noted for 36% (54/150) of unenhanced images, 13% (10/78) of contrast-enhanced images, and 59% (46/78) of subtraction images acquired on end-inspiration. When side-by-side assessment of paired unenhanced sequences was performed, images acquired in end-expiration were significantly favored in 59% of paired sequences (88/150) (p < 0.00001), and no difference between images acquired with both breath-hold techniques was noted for 21% (32/150) of paired sequences. CONCLUSION. The end-expiration breath-holding technique leads to significant decreases in respiratory motion artifacts, compared with the end-inspiration technique, on unenhanced and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted liver MRI.

Population Stereotypes for Objects and Representations: Response Tendencies for Interacting With Everyday Objects and Interfaces.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to replicate and extend population stereotypes from a broad range of users for display-control relations of common interfaces using pictures/images of the objects. BACKGROUND: Population stereotypes for display-control configurations refer to people's tendencies to associate certain control actions with display properties. An interface will benefit by being designed in a manner that is consistent with the stereotypes. The stimuli used in the present study include conceptual replications of objects that have been examined previously and new ones. METHOD: An online survey was designed to collect data about participants' natural response tendencies or interpretations of the meaning associated with objects, representations, and colors. Participants were obtained through MTurk from the United States, India, and UK. RESULTS: We replicated 76% and partially replicated an additional 16% of the stereotypic responses found in prior studies. Considering the full data set, we found stereotypic responses for 62% of the stimuli that are consistent across the three countries in which the participants were located, although the strength of these stereotypes may differ by location. For the remaining 38% of the stimuli, population stereotypes still emerged for some locations. Few gender differences were found. CONCLUSION: Cross-cultural stereotypic responses exist for many objects, representations, and display-control configurations. However, because stereotypes can be limited to specific regions or change over time, we recommend that they be captured periodically to ensure design guidelines based on the stereotypes remain valid. APPLICATION: Designers can use the stereotypic responses to guide design decisions.

Evidence Supporting LI-RADS Major Features for CT- and MR Imaging-based Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review.

The Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) standardizes the interpretation, reporting, and data collection for imaging examinations in patients at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It assigns category codes reflecting relative probability of HCC to imaging-detected liver observations based on major and ancillary imaging features. LI-RADS also includes imaging features suggesting malignancy other than HCC. Supported and endorsed by the American College of Radiology (ACR), the system has been developed by a committee of radiologists, hepatologists, pathologists, surgeons, lexicon experts, and ACR staff, with input from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the Organ Procurement Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing. Development of LI-RADS has been based on literature review, expert opinion, rounds of testing and iteration, and feedback from users. This article summarizes and assesses the quality of evidence supporting each LI-RADS major feature for diagnosis of HCC, as well as of the LI-RADS imaging features suggesting malignancy other than HCC. Based on the evidence, recommendations are provided for or against their continued inclusion in LI-RADS. © RSNA, 2017 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Vertically arrayed stimuli and responses: transfer of incompatible spatial mapping to Simon task occurs regardless of response-device orientation.

Conde et al. (Exp Brain Res 233:3313-3321, 2015) found that the Simon effect for vertically arrayed stimuli and responses was reduced after 100 prior practice trials with an incompatible mapping of the stimulus locations and responses. This finding was contrary to Vu's (Mem Cognit 35:1463-1471, 2007) finding of no transfer effect with 72 trials of prior practice. Conde et al. proposed that the different results were due to their responses being coded as top and bottom in the frontal plane, whereas Vu's were coded as far and near in the transverse plane. We conducted four experiments to test this possibility in which participants responded with keypresses using their thumbs on a numeric keypad held vertically (upright in the frontal plane) or horizontally (flat in the transverse plane). Experiment 1 showed that, without any prior practice, a similar sized Simon effect was obtained when the response device was oriented in the transverse plane as when it was oriented in the frontal plane. In Experiments 2 and 3 participants performed with the same device orientation in the incompatible practice and Simon transfer tasks, with orientation manipulated between-subjects in the former and within-subjects in the latter. The Simon effect was reduced in both cases, with no significant difference in transfer effect for transverse and frontal planes. In Experiment 4, the device orientation differed between the incompatible practice and Simon transfer tasks, and the Simon effect was reduced similarly across both response-device orientations. Thus, the differences between Conde et al.'s and Vu's findings cannot be attributed to the response-device orientation. Our results are consistent with the view that people code response locations in the transverse plane as top and bottom, rather than far and near, in agreement with the terminology of "top row" and "bottom row" for computer keyboards.

Liver Iron Quantification with MR Imaging: A Primer for Radiologists.

Iron overload is a systemic disorder and is either primary (genetic) or secondary (exogenous iron administration). Primary iron overload is most commonly associated with hereditary hemochromatosis and secondary iron overload with ineffective erythropoiesis (predominantly caused by ß-thalassemia major and sickle cell disease) that requires long-term transfusion therapy, leading to transfusional hemosiderosis. Iron overload may lead to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, in addition to cardiac and endocrine complications. The liver is one of the main iron storage organs and the first to show iron overload. Therefore, detection and quantification of liver iron overload are critical to initiate treatment and prevent complications. Liver biopsy was the historical reference standard for detection and quantification of liver iron content. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is now commonly used for liver iron quantification, including assessment of distribution, detection, grading, and monitoring of treatment response in iron overload. Several MR imaging techniques have been developed for iron quantification, each with advantages and limitations. The liver-to-muscle signal intensity ratio technique is simple and widely available; however, it assumes that the reference tissue is normal. Transverse magnetization (also known as R2) relaxometry is validated but is prone to respiratory motion artifacts due to a long acquisition time, is presently available only for 1.5-T imaging, and requires additional cost and delay for off-line analysis. The R2* technique has fast acquisition time, demonstrates a wide range of liver iron content, and is available for 1.5-T and 3.0-T imaging but requires additional postprocessing software. Quantitative susceptibility mapping has the highest sensitivity for detecting iron deposition; however, it is still investigational, and the correlation with liver iron content is not yet established. ©RSNA, 2018.

Single Pilot Operations in Domestic Commercial Aviation.

OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of concepts of operation for single pilot operations (SPO) and a synthesis of recently published work evaluating these concepts. BACKGROUND: Advances in technology have made it possible for a commercial aircraft to be flown by a single pilot under normal conditions, and research is being conducted to examine the feasibility of implementing SPO for commercial aviation. METHOD: Context leading up to the consideration of SPO for commercial flight is provided, including the benefits and challenges. Recent studies examining issues relating to automation, operations, and communications in the SPO context are presented. RESULTS: A number of concepts have been proposed and tested for SPO, and no one concept has been shown to be superior. Single pilots were able to successfully resolve off-nominal scenarios with either the ground-support or cockpit-automation tools examined. However, the technologies developed in support of these concepts are in prototype forms and need further development. CONCLUSION: There have been no obvious "show stoppers" for moving toward SPO. However, the current state of research is in its initial stages, and more research is needed to examine other challenges associated with SPO. Moreover, human factors researchers must continue to be involved in the development of the new tools and technologies to support SPO to ensure their effectiveness. APPLICATION: The research issues highlighted in the context of SPO reflect issues that are associated with the process of reducing crew members or providing remote support of operators and, more generally, human interactions with increasingly autonomous systems.