Bone mineral density (BMD), micro-architecture estimation (TBS) and vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) extracted from a single DXA device in combination with clinical risk factors improve significantly the identification of women at high risk of fracture

Introduction: Osteoporosis (OP) is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by a low bone mineral density (BMD) and a micro-architectural (MA) deterioration. Clinical risk factors (CRF) are often used as a MA approximation. MA is yet evaluable in daily practice by the Trabecular Bone Score (TBS) measure. TBS is a novel grey-level texture measurement reflecting bone micro-architecture based on the use of experimental variograms of 2D projection images. TBS is very simple to obtain, by reanalyzing a lumbar DXA-scan. TBS has proven to have diagnosis and prognosis value, partially independent of CRF and BMD. The aim of the OsteoLaus cohort is to combine in daily practice the CRF and the information given by DXA (BMD, TBS and vertebral fracture assessment (VFA)) to better identify women at high fracture risk. Method: The OsteoLaus cohort (1400 women 50 to 80 years living in Lausanne, Switzerland) started in 2010. This study is derived from the cohort COLAUS who started in Lausanne in 2003. The main goals of COLAUS is to obtain information on the epidemiology and genetic determinants of cardiovascular risk in 6700 men and women. CRF for OP, bone ultrasound of the heel, lumbar spine and hip BMD, VFA by DXA and MA evaluation by TBS are recorded in OsteoLaus. Preliminary results are reported. Results: We included 631 women: mean age 67.4±6.7 y, BMI 26.1±4.6, mean lumbar spine BMD 0.943±0.168 (T-score -1.4 SD), TBS 1.271±0.103. As expected, correlation between BMD and site matched TBS is low (r2=0.16). Prevalence of VFx grade 2/3, major OP Fx and all OP Fx is 8.4%, 17.0% and 26.0% respectively. Age- and BMI-adjusted ORs (per SD decrease) are 1.8 (1.2- 2.5), 1.6 (1.2-2.1), 1.3 (1.1-1.6) for BMD for the different categories of fractures and 2.0 (1.4-3.0), 1.9 (1.4-2.5), 1.4 (1.1-1.7) for TBS respectively. Only 32 to 37% of women with OP Fx have a BMD < -2.5 SD or a TBS < 1.200. If we combine a BMD < -2.5 SD or a TBS < 1.200, 54 to 60% of women with an osteoporotic Fx are identified. Conclusion: As in the already published studies, these preliminary results confirm the partial independence between BMD and TBS. More importantly, a combination of TBS subsequent to BMD increases significantly the identification of women with prevalent OP Fx which would have been miss-classified by BMD alone. For the first time we are able to have complementary information about fracture (VFA), density (BMD), micro- and macro architecture (TBS & HAS) from a simple, low ionizing radiation and cheap device: DXA. Such complementary information is very useful for the patient in the daily practice and moreover will likely have an impact on cost effectiveness analysis.

Laboratory estimation of the effects of increasing temperatures on the duration of gonotrophic cycle of Anopheles albimanus (Diptera: Culicidae)

The increase of malaria transmission in the Pacific Coast of Colombia during the occurrence of El Niño warm event has been found not to be linked to increases in the density of the vector Anopheles albimanus, but to other temperature-sensitive variables such as longevity, duration of the gonotrophic cycle or the sporogonic period of Plasmodium. The present study estimated the effects of temperature on duration of the gonotrophic cycle and on maturation of the ovaries of An. albimanus. Blood fed adult mosquitoes were exposed to temperatures of 24, 27, and 30°C, held individually in oviposition cages and assessed at 12 h intervals. At 24, 27, and 30°C the mean development time of the oocytes was 91.2 h (95% C.I.: 86.5-96), 66.2 h (61.5-70.8), and 73.1 h (64-82.3), respectively. The mean duration of the gonotrophic cycle for these three temperatures was 88.4 h (81.88-94.9), 75 h (71.4-78.7), and 69.1 h (64.6-73.6) respectively. These findings indicate that both parameters in An. albimanus are reduced when temperatures rose from 24 to 30°C, in a nonlinear manner. According to these results the increase in malaria transmission during El Niño in Colombia could be associated with a shortening of the gonotrophic cycle in malaria vectors, which could enhance the frequency of man-vector contact, affecting the incidence of the disease.

Concurrent versus simultaneous use of alcohol and non-medical use of prescription drugs: is simultaneous use worse for mental, social, and health issues?

Abstract This study investigated the difference between concurrent and simultaneous use of alcohol and non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) in relation to mental, social, and health issues. The 544 study participants of the Swiss ongoing Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors (C-SURF) had a combined use of alcohol with NMUPD during the previous 12 months. Alcohol-related problems (i.e., dependence and consequences), as well as mental, social, and health concerns (i.e., depression, general mental/physical health, and social/health consequences), were assessed. The simultaneous use of alcohol and NMUPD proved to be a greater risk factor for mental, social, and health issues than concurrent use. This study adds information regarding simultaneous polydrug use, which results in distinct effects compared to concurrent use, including important social, psychosocial, and health-related consequences.

Simultaneous biliary drainage and portal vein embolization before extended hepatectomy for hilar cholangiocarcinoma: preliminary experience.

BACKGROUND: Patients with resectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma often present obstructive jaundice and a small future remnant liver (FRL) ratio. A sequential approach comprising preoperative biliary drainage followed by portal vein embolization (PVE) is usually performed but leads to long preoperative management (6-12 weeks) before patients can undergo resection. To simplify and shorten this phase of liver preparation, we developed a new preoperative approach that involves percutaneous biliary drainage and PVE during the same procedure. We report the outcomes of this combined procedure. METHODS: During 1 year, four patients underwent simultaneous biliary drainage and PVE followed 1 month later by surgical resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Liver volumes were assessed by CT before, and 1, and 3 months after the combined procedure. Serum liver enzymes were assessed before and 1 month after the combined procedure. RESULTS: The combined procedure was feasible in all cases, with no related complications. After the combined procedure, transaminases remained stable or decreased, whereas gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin decreased. During the first month, the left lobe volume increased by +27.9 % (range 19-40.9 %). The FRL ratio increased from 24.9 to 33.2 %. All patients underwent R0 liver resection with a favorable postoperative outcome. The remnant liver volume increased by +132 % (range 78-245 %) between 1 and 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous percutaneous biliary drainage and PVE is feasible. This all-in-one preoperative approach greatly decreases waiting time until surgical resection. These encouraging results warrant further investigation to confirm the safety and to evaluate the reduction in the dropout rate for liver resection in this tumor with poor prognosis.

Parametric estimation of pulse arrival time: a robust approach to pulse wave velocity.

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a surrogate of arterial stiffness and represents a non-invasive marker of cardiovascular risk. The non-invasive measurement of PWV requires tracking the arrival time of pressure pulses recorded in vivo, commonly referred to as pulse arrival time (PAT). In the state of the art, PAT is estimated by identifying a characteristic point of the pressure pulse waveform. This paper demonstrates that for ambulatory scenarios, where signal-to-noise ratios are below 10 dB, the performance in terms of repeatability of PAT measurements through characteristic points identification degrades drastically. Hence, we introduce a novel family of PAT estimators based on the parametric modeling of the anacrotic phase of a pressure pulse. In particular, we propose a parametric PAT estimator (TANH) that depicts high correlation with the Complior(R) characteristic point D1 (CC = 0.99), increases noise robustness and reduces by a five-fold factor the number of heartbeats required to obtain reliable PAT measurements.

Estimation of time of death in relation to gastric contents

Introduction: Estimation of the time since death based on the gastric content is still a controversy subject. Many studies have been achieved leaving the same incertitude: the intra- and inter-individual variability. Aim: After a homicidal case where a specialized gastroenterologist was cited to estimate the time of death based on the gastric contents and his experience in clinical practice. Consequently we decided to make a review of the scientific literature to see if that method was more reliable nowadays. Material and methods: We chose articles from 1979 that describe the estimation of the gastric emptying rate according to several factors and the forensic articles about the estimation of the time of death in relation with the gastric content. Results: Most of the articles cited by the specialized gastroenterologist were studies about living healthy people and the effects of several factors (medication, supine versus upside-down position, body mass index or different type of food). Forensic articles frequently concluded that the estimation of the time since death by analyzing the gastric content can be used but not as the unique method. Conclusion: Estimation of the time since death by analyze of the gastric contents is a method that can be used nowadays. But it cannot be the only method as the inter- and intra-individual variability remains an important bias.

Concentrations of resveratrol and derivatives in foods and estimation of dietary intake in a Spanish population: European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Spain cohort

Resveratrol has been shown to have beneficial effects on diseases related to oxidant and/or inflammatory processes and extends the lifespan of simple organisms including rodents. The objective of the present study was to estimate the dietary intake of resveratrol and piceid (R&P) present in foods, and to identify the principal dietary sources of these compounds in the Spanish adult population. For this purpose, a food composition database (FCDB) of R&P in Spanish foods was compiled. The study included 40 685 subjects aged 35–64 years from northern and southern regions of Spain who were included in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Spain cohort. Usual food intake was assessed by personal interviews using a computerised version of a validated diet history method. An FCDB with 160 items was compiled. The estimated median and mean of R&P intake were 100 and 933 μg/d respectively. Approximately, 32 % of the population did not consume R&P. The most abundant of the four stilbenes studied was trans-piceid (53·6 %), followed by trans-resveratrol (20·9 %), cis-piceid (19·3 %) and cis-resveratrol (6·2 %). The most important source of R&P was wines (98·4 %) and grape and grape juices (1·6 %), whereas peanuts, pistachios and berries contributed to less than 0·01 %. For this reason the pattern of intake of R&P was similar to the wine pattern. This is the first time that R&P intake has been estimated in a Mediterranean country.

Simultaneous infection of human host with genetically distinct isolates of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

This study is the first report on genetic differences between isolates of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis from a single patient. We describe a simultaneous infection with genetically distinct isolates of P. brasiliensis in a patient with chronic paracoccidioidomycosis. The clinical isolates were obtained from lesions in different anatomical sites and were characterised by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. The RAPD technique can be helpful for distinguishing between clinical isolates. Different random primers were used to characterise these clinical isolates. The RAPD patterns allowed for differentiation between isolates and the construction of a phenetic tree, which showed more than 28% genetic variability in this fungal species, opening new possibilities for clinical studies of P. brasiliensis. Based on these results and preliminary clinical findings, we suggest that different genotypes of P. brasiliensis might infect the same patient, inducing the active form of the disease.

Differential epipolar constraint in mobile robot egomotion estimation

The estimation of camera egomotion is a well established problem in computer vision. Many approaches have been proposed based on both the discrete and the differential epipolar constraint. The discrete case is mainly used in self-calibrated stereoscopic systems, whereas the differential case deals with a unique moving camera. The article surveys several methods for mobile robot egomotion estimation covering more than 0.5 million samples using synthetic data. Results from real data are also given

Accuracy estimation of a new omnidirectional 3D vision sensor

We present a computer vision system that associates omnidirectional vision with structured light with the aim of obtaining depth information for a 360 degrees field of view. The approach proposed in this article combines an omnidirectional camera with a panoramic laser projector. The article shows how the sensor is modelled and its accuracy is proved by means of experimental results. The proposed sensor provides useful information for robot navigation applications, pipe inspection, 3D scene modelling etc

A survey addressing the fundamental matrix estimation problem

Epipolar geometry is a key point in computer vision and the fundamental matrix estimation is the only way to compute it. This article surveys several methods of fundamental matrix estimation which have been classified into linear methods, iterative methods and robust methods. All of these methods have been programmed and their accuracy analysed using real images. A summary, accompanied with experimental results, is given

Estimation of the probability of congestion using Monte Carlo method in OPS networks

In networks with small buffers, such as optical packet switching based networks, the convolution approach is presented as one of the most accurate method used for the connection admission control. Admission control and resource management have been addressed in other works oriented to bursty traffic and ATM. This paper focuses on heterogeneous traffic in OPS based networks. Using heterogeneous traffic and bufferless networks the enhanced convolution approach is a good solution. However, both methods (CA and ECA) present a high computational cost for high number of connections. Two new mechanisms (UMCA and ISCA) based on Monte Carlo method are proposed to overcome this drawback. Simulation results show that our proposals achieve lower computational cost compared to enhanced convolution approach with an small stochastic error in the probability estimation

Explaining Fiscal Balances with a Simultaneous Equation Model of Revenue and Expenditure : A Case Study of Swiss Cantons Using Panel Data

Empirical literature on the analysis of the efficiency of measures for reducing persistent government deficits has mainly focused on the direct explanation of deficit. By contrast, this paper aims at modeling government revenue and expenditure within a simultaneous framework and deriving the fiscal balance (surplus or deficit) equation as the difference between the two variables. This setting enables one to not only judge how relevant the explanatory variables are in explaining the fiscal balance but also understand their impact on revenue and/or expenditure. Our empirical results, obtained by using a panel data set on Swiss Cantons for the period 1980-2002, confirm the relevance of the approach followed here, by providing unambiguous evidence of a simultaneous relationship between revenue and expenditure. They also reveal strong dynamic components in revenue, expenditure, and fiscal balance. Among the significant determinants of public fiscal balance we not only find the usual business cycle elements, but also and more importantly institutional factors such as the number of administrative units, and the ease with which people can resort to political (direct democracy) instruments, such as public initiatives and referendum.

Estimation of the lateral correlation structure of subsurface water content from surface-based ground-penetrating radar reflection images

Over the past decade, significant interest has been expressed in relating the spatial statistics of surface-based reflection ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data to those of the imaged subsurface volume. A primary motivation for this work is that changes in the radar wave velocity, which largely control the character of the observed data, are expected to be related to corresponding changes in subsurface water content. Although previous work has indeed indicated that the spatial statistics of GPR images are linked to those of the water content distribution of the probed region, a viable method for quantitatively analyzing the GPR data and solving the corresponding inverse problem has not yet been presented. Here we address this issue by first deriving a relationship between the 2-D autocorrelation of a water content distribution and that of the corresponding GPR reflection image. We then show how a Bayesian inversion strategy based on Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling can be used to estimate the posterior distribution of subsurface correlation model parameters that are consistent with the GPR data. Our results indicate that if the underlying assumptions are valid and we possess adequate prior knowledge regarding the water content distribution, in particular its vertical variability, this methodology allows not only for the reliable recovery of lateral correlation model parameters but also for estimates of parameter uncertainties. In the case where prior knowledge regarding the vertical variability of water content is not available, the results show that the methodology still reliably recovers the aspect ratio of the heterogeneity.