scholarly journals FACTOR AFFECTING BEE HONEY QUALITY ACCEPTANCE INCLUDING CONTENTS AND EXTRACTION METHOD

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasha . ◽  
M. A. Farag ◽  
Amr A. A. Metwally ◽  
Mohaned M. Abou Setta
Keyword(s):  
Extraction Method ◽  
Reducing Sugars ◽  
Single Factor ◽  
Egyptian Clover ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Honey Production ◽  
Multifloral Honey ◽  
Market Needs ◽  
Significant Factors

The Egyptian Standard ES: 355-1 / 2005 indicates that the content of nectar honeys from reducing sugars should not be less than 60%, while the content of reducing sugars in honeydew honeys should not be less than 40%. While the sucrose content should not exceed 10% in the case of citrus honey, and not more than 5% for each of Egyptian clover honey, cotton, fennel honey, and multifloral honey. These standards were examined within 165 randomized bee honey samples at the end of nectar honey flow and after honey extracted. The honey authenticity characterization according to the plants sources (i.e. citrus, clover, cotton, fennel, multifloral and unknown) In addition to artificial honey. Characters considered were extract method (only honey combs versus all combs), acceptance, pollen contents and percent sugars (i.e. fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose and reducing sugars). For citrus honey 37 ones were accepted and 6 were rejected. For clover ones 5 were accepted and 16 were rejected. For cotton ones 18 were accepted and 5 were rejected. For fennel ones 26 were accepted and 4 were rejected. For multifloral honeys 10 were accepted and 8 were rejected for unknown honeys and artificial honey (30) all were rejected. Overall acceptance was 96 versus 69 rejections. For single factor affected acceptance higher fructose, and glucose were positively highly significant, while higher maltose was negatively significant. Applying multiple regressions indicated that increase of sucrose percentage and extracting methods were the significant factors influenced honey acceptance with Egyptian standards. The honey market needs future studies to follow up the management of apiaries in honey production and to limit the methods of honey adulteration.

scholarly journals Treatment of Angiosarcoma with Pazopanib and Paclitaxel: Results of the EVA (Evaluation of Votrient® in Angiosarcoma) Phase II Trial of the German Interdisciplinary Sarcoma Group (GISG-06)

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1223
Author(s):  
Daniel Pink ◽  
Dimosthenis Andreou ◽  
Sebastian Bauer ◽  
Thomas Brodowicz ◽  
Bernd Kasper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Median Overall Survival ◽  
Phase Ii Trial ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Progression Free Survival ◽  
Free Survival ◽  
Safety And Efficacy ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Entire Cohort

We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of paclitaxel combined with pazopanib in advanced angiosarcoma (AS). The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) rate at six months (PFSR6). Planned accrual was 44 patients in order to detect a PFSR6 of >55%, with an interim futility analysis of the first 14 patients. The study did not meet its predetermined interim target of 6/14 patients progression-free at 6 months. At the time of this finding, 26 patients had been enrolled between July 2014 and April 2016, resulting in an overrunning of 12 patients. After a median follow-up of 9.5 (IQR 7.7–15.4) months, PFSR6 amounted to 46%. Two patients had a complete and seven patients a partial response. Patients with superficial AS had a significantly higher PFSR6 (61% vs. 13%, p = 0.0247) and PFS (11.3 vs. 2.7 months, p < 0.0001) compared to patients with visceral AS. The median overall survival in the entire cohort was 21.6 months. A total of 10 drug-related serious adverse effects were reported in 5 patients, including a fatal hepatic failure. Although our study did not meet its primary endpoint, the median PFS of 11.6 months in patients with superficial AS appears to be promising. Taking recent reports into consideration, future studies should evaluate the safety and efficacy of VEGFR and immune checkpoint inhibitors with or without paclitaxel in a randomized, multiarm setting.

scholarly journals Inflammation in children with cystic fibrosis: contribution of bacterial production of long-chain fatty acids

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Felton ◽  
Aszia Burrell ◽  
Hollis Chaney ◽  
Iman Sami ◽  
Anastassios C. Koumbourlis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cystic Fibrosis ◽  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Antibiotic Treatment ◽  
Bacterial Production ◽  
Clinical Status ◽  
Achromobacter Xylosoxidans ◽  
List Type ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Long Chain

Abstract Background Cystic fibrosis (CF) affects >70,000 people worldwide, yet the microbiologic trigger for pulmonary exacerbations (PExs) remains unknown. The objective of this study was to identify changes in bacterial metabolic pathways associated with clinical status. Methods Respiratory samples were collected at hospital admission for PEx, end of intravenous (IV) antibiotic treatment, and follow-up from 27 hospitalized children with CF. Bacterial DNA was extracted and shotgun DNA sequencing was performed. MetaPhlAn2 and HUMAnN2 were used to evaluate bacterial taxonomic and pathway relative abundance, while DESeq2 was used to evaluate differential abundance based on clinical status. Results The mean age of study participants was 10 years; 85% received combination IV antibiotic therapy (beta-lactam plus a second agent). Long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) biosynthesis pathways were upregulated in follow-up samples compared to end of treatment: gondoate (p = 0.012), oleate (p = 0.048), palmitoleate (p = 0.043), and pathways of fatty acid elongation (p = 0.012). Achromobacter xylosoxidans and Escherichia sp. were also more prevalent in follow-up compared to PEx (p < 0.001). Conclusions LCFAs may be associated with persistent infection of opportunistic pathogens. Future studies should more closely investigate the role of LCFA production by lung bacteria in the transition from baseline wellness to PEx in persons with CF. Impact Increased levels of LCFAs are found after IV antibiotic treatment in persons with CF. LCFAs have previously been associated with increased lung inflammation in asthma. This is the first report of LCFAs in the airway of persons with CF. This research provides support that bacterial production of LCFAs may be a contributor to inflammation in persons with CF. Future studies should evaluate LCFAs as predictors of future PExs.

scholarly journals Predicting plaque vulnerability change using intravascular ultrasound + optical coherence tomography image-based fluid–structure interaction models and machine learning methods with patient follow-up data: a feasibility study

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoya Guo ◽  
Akiko Maehara ◽  
Mitsuaki Matsumura ◽  
Liang Wang ◽  
Jie Zheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Coronary Plaque ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Single Factor ◽  
Plaque Vulnerability ◽  
Learning Methods ◽  
Machine Learning Methods ◽  
Vulnerability Prediction ◽  
Biomechanical Factors

Abstract Background Coronary plaque vulnerability prediction is difficult because plaque vulnerability is non-trivial to quantify, clinically available medical image modality is not enough to quantify thin cap thickness, prediction methods with high accuracies still need to be developed, and gold-standard data to validate vulnerability prediction are often not available. Patient follow-up intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), optical coherence tomography (OCT) and angiography data were acquired to construct 3D fluid–structure interaction (FSI) coronary models and four machine-learning methods were compared to identify optimal method to predict future plaque vulnerability. Methods Baseline and 10-month follow-up in vivo IVUS and OCT coronary plaque data were acquired from two arteries of one patient using IRB approved protocols with informed consent obtained. IVUS and OCT-based FSI models were constructed to obtain plaque wall stress/strain and wall shear stress. Forty-five slices were selected as machine learning sample database for vulnerability prediction study. Thirteen key morphological factors from IVUS and OCT images and biomechanical factors from FSI model were extracted from 45 slices at baseline for analysis. Lipid percentage index (LPI), cap thickness index (CTI) and morphological plaque vulnerability index (MPVI) were quantified to measure plaque vulnerability. Four machine learning methods (least square support vector machine, discriminant analysis, random forest and ensemble learning) were employed to predict the changes of three indices using all combinations of 13 factors. A standard fivefold cross-validation procedure was used to evaluate prediction results. Results For LPI change prediction using support vector machine, wall thickness was the optimal single-factor predictor with area under curve (AUC) 0.883 and the AUC of optimal combinational-factor predictor achieved 0.963. For CTI change prediction using discriminant analysis, minimum cap thickness was the optimal single-factor predictor with AUC 0.818 while optimal combinational-factor predictor achieved an AUC 0.836. Using random forest for predicting MPVI change, minimum cap thickness was the optimal single-factor predictor with AUC 0.785 and the AUC of optimal combinational-factor predictor achieved 0.847. Conclusion This feasibility study demonstrated that machine learning methods could be used to accurately predict plaque vulnerability change based on morphological and biomechanical factors from multi-modality image-based FSI models. Large-scale studies are needed to verify our findings.

scholarly journals Regression of cephalic index following endoscopic repair of sagittal synostosis

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-60
Author(s):  
Nicholas A. Pickersgill ◽  
Gary B. Skolnick ◽  
Sybill D. Naidoo ◽  
Matthew D. Smyth ◽  
Kamlesh B. Patel
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Cephalic Index ◽  
Sagittal Synostosis ◽  
Endoscopic Repair ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Helmet Therapy ◽  
Significant Regression ◽  
Strip Craniectomy

OBJECTIVEMetrics used to quantify preoperative severity and postoperative outcomes for patients with sagittal synostosis include cephalic index (CI), the well-known standard, and the recently described adjusted cephalic index (aCI), which accounts for altered euryon location. This study tracks the time course of these measures following endoscopic repair with orthotic helmet therapy. The authors hypothesize that CI and aCI show significant regression following endoscope-assisted repair.METHODSCT scans or 3D photographs of patients with nonsyndromic sagittal synostosis treated before 6 months of age by endoscope-assisted strip craniectomy and postoperative helmet therapy (n = 41) were reviewed retrospectively at three time points (preoperatively, 0–2 months after helmeting, and > 24 months postoperatively). The CI and aCI were measured at each time point.RESULTSMean CI and aCI increased from 71.8 to 78.2 and 62.7 to 72.4, respectively, during helmet treatment (p < 0.001). At final follow-up, mean CI and aCI had regressed significantly from 78.2 to 76.5 and 72.4 to 69.7, respectively (p < 0.001). The CI regressed in 33 of 41 cases (80%) and aCI in 39 of 41 cases (95%). The authors observed a mean loss of 31% of improvement in aCI achieved through treatment. A strong, positive correlation existed between CI and aCI (R = 0.88).CONCLUSIONSRegression following endoscope-assisted strip craniectomy with postoperative helmet therapy commonly occurs in patients with sagittal synostosis. Future studies are required to determine whether duration of helmet therapy or modifications in helmet design affect regression.

Foot-to-Shoe Mismatch and Rates of Referral in Special Olympics Athletes

2012 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Jenkins ◽  
Kimbal Cooper ◽  
Rachel O’Connor ◽  
Liane Watanabe
Keyword(s):  
Power Analysis ◽  
Clinical Findings ◽  
Special Olympics ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Foot Structure ◽  
Ultimate Outcome ◽  
And Performance

Background: Improperly fitted shoes are frequently seen in athletes participating in Special Olympics competitions. This foot-to-shoe mismatch may result in deformities as well as discomfort and reduced performance or injuries in competitions. A primary purpose for providing medical screenings is to identify conditions unknown and to promptly refer to an appropriate provider for evaluation and care. This study attempts to determine the prevalence of improperly fitted shoes and the rate of referral for Special Olympics athletes screened at Fit Feet venues. Methods: To evaluate the foot-to-shoe mismatch and rate of referral, 4,094 Fit Feet screenings of Special Olympics athletes participating in US competitions in 2005 to 2009 were analyzed. The participants were 58.5% male and 41.5% female, with a median age of 25.6 years. A power analysis and the χ2 test were used. The athletes voluntarily underwent a foot screening that followed the standardized Special Olympics Fit Feet protocol. The Brannock Device for measuring feet was used to assess proper fit. Results: A proper fit was found in 58.56% of the athletes, with 28.60% wearing shoes too big and 12.84% wearing shoes too small. Unrelated to shoe fit, 20% of the athletes required referrals for professional follow-up based on abnormal clinical findings. Conclusions: There is a significant (41.44%) mismatch of foot to shoe in Special Olympics athletes. The most common mismatch is a shoe too big, with a much smaller number of athletes having shoes too small. Awareness of this foot-to-shoe incompatibility may be useful for the development of shoes better designed for athletes with a foot structure not consistent with conventional shoes. Because 20% of the athletes required a referral for professional follow-up, Fit Feet examinations are important for identifying athletes with conditions that can be more readily evaluated and treated, thus improving the athletes’ comfort and performance. Beyond knowing the rate of referral, future studies can determine the conditions or findings that necessitate a referral and the ultimate outcome of that referral. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 102(3): 187–197, 2012)

Never saw one – first-person null subjects in spoken English1

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (01) ◽  
pp. 1-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUSANNE WAGNER
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
First Language ◽  
First Person ◽  
Null Subjects ◽  
Language Variation And Change ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Verb Phrase ◽  
The One ◽  
Colloquial Speech

While null subjects are a well-researched phenomenon in pro-drop languages like Italian or Spanish, they have not received much attention in non-pro-drop languages such as English, where they are traditionally associated with particular (written) genres such as diaries or are discussed under a broader umbrella term such as situational ellipsis. However, examples such as the one in the title – while certainly not frequent – are commonly encountered in colloquial speech, with first-person singular tokens outnumbering any other person.This article investigates the linguistic and non-linguistic factors influencing the (non-) realisation of first-person singular subjects in a corpus of colloquial English. The variables found to contribute to the observed variation are drawn from a variety of linguistic domains and follow up on research conducted in such different fields as first language acquisition (FLA), cognitive linguistics, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics and language variation and change. Of particular interest is the finding regarding the link between null subjects and complexity of the verb phrase, which patterns in a clearly linear fashion: the more complex the verb phrase, the more likely is a null realisation. Not discussed in this form before, this finding, given its high significance and its robustness in light of alternative coding, may prove to be an important candidate for inclusion in future studies on (English) null subjects.

Follow-Up Care Barriers for Patients with Orofacial Clefts

2021 ◽  
pp. 105566562110421
Author(s):  
Joshua Van Swol ◽  
Bethany J. Wolf ◽  
Julia Toumey ◽  
Phayvanh Pecha ◽  
Krishna G. Patel
Keyword(s):  
Outcome Measure ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Actual Patient ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Return Visits ◽  
Significant Factors ◽  
Patient Attendance

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a patient with a cleft's age, associated syndrome, cleft phenotype or travel distance affects their follow-up rate. Design This study is a retrospective review of patients with CL/P treated by a craniofacial clinic. Setting The setting was a craniofacial clinic at a tertiary care university hospital. Patients, Participants Candidates were patients seen by the craniofacial clinic between January 2007 and December 2019. An initial pool of 589 patients was then reduced to 440 due to exclusion criteria. Interventions None Main Outcome Measure(s) The outcome measure was actual patient attendance to the craniofacial team compared to the team goal expectation of annual return visits. Results The mean age of participants at the end of the study was 9.0 ±  5.4 years with a mean follow-up period (total possible follow-up period length based on patient age at presentation and study window) of 5.5 ±  3.6 years. There was no association between cleft phenotype, type of syndrome, or distance to the clinic with attendance. Children with syndromes had an 11% decrease in the odds of attending follow-up visits with each 1-year increase in age compared to a 4% decrease in children without syndromes. Conclusions The only significant factors determining patient attendance were the presence of a syndrome and increasing age.

scholarly journals Presence, Cybersickness, Anxiety, and Heart Rate Variability in a Non-Clinical Population Using Virtual Reality Environments Designed For Specific Phobias' Treatment

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 01-09
Author(s):  
Maria Jose Distefano ◽  
Lucas P. Labandeira ◽  
Fernando M. Tarnogol ◽  
Belen Mesurado
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
State Anxiety ◽  
Clinical Population ◽  
Simulator Sickness ◽  
State Trait Anxiety Inventory ◽  
Significant Relation ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Follow Up Study ◽  
Autonomic Activation

The current study was performed to assess the phenomenon known as Presence, to measure Anxiety responses, simulator sickness and autonomic activation in subjects of the general population. The sample consisted in 37 Argentine participants (15 male, 22 female) between ages 20 and 40; who were exposed to 3 virtual environments designed to research and treat phobias. Instruments utilized for this study were the Symptom Checklist 90-R, Acrophobia Questionnaire, Fear of Spiders Questionnaire, The Claustrophobia Questionnaire, Igroup Presence Questionnaire, Simulator Sickness Questionnaire and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. All virtual environments generated sufficient feeling of presence. Cybersickness was only registered in the Elevator scenario. The Apartment and Spiders environments have shown not to be anxiety triggers within this population. As for Elevator, a significant increase in the level of state anxiety was generated. A possible hypothesis to account for this fact might be that reported anxiety responds to movement simulated in the virtual scenario while on the other two scenarios the subjects remained static. The existence of a correlation between HRV and state anxiety has been analyzed and no significant relation has been found between the variables. Even though there is a relation between anxiety and presence, no significant relation has been found between anxiety and presence. Regarding sensory conflict, a follow up study in the Elevator environment should be done, eliminating movement and exposing subjects to the stimuli while static at different heights. Future studies should consider broadening the size of the sample and studying clinical population to compare results.

scholarly journals Laparoscopic gastric plication: towards standardization

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 221
Author(s):  
Ahmed Abdel Monem Ibrahim ◽  
Ahmed Elgeidie ◽  
Nabil Gadelhak
Keyword(s):  
Weight Regain ◽  
Excess Weight Loss ◽  
Mini Gastric Bypass ◽  
Morbidly Obese ◽  
Gastric Plication ◽  
Obese Patients ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Laparoscopic Gastric Plication ◽  
Good Reputation

Background: Laparoscopic gastric plication (LGP) is a restrictive bariatric procedure which was found to be safe, effective and economic as well. However, it hasn't a good reputation among some bariatric surgeons due to some reasons; the most important of them is lack of standardization.  Objective of the present stud was to study propose a standardized technique for LGP aiming at a better outcome.  Setting. Settings: University-affiliated hospital.Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent LGP by the proposed technique., using seromuscular bites with non-absorbable thread, adoption of the four-bite technique, and calibration using bougie.Results: Eighty-eight consecutive morbidly obese patients had been operated by the proposed standardized technique of LGP between March 2010 and September 2014. There were 19 men and 69 women, with a mean age of 30.3 years and a mean BMI of 36.7kg/m2 (range 32-51kg/m2). The most frequently reported complication was prolonged early postoperative nausea/vomiting occurred in 5 of 88 (5.7%) patients. Weight regain was reported in one patient who was treated with conversion of LGP to laparoscopic mini-gastric bypass. Hospital stay was prolonged for a mean of 6.0 (3 -10 days). Postoperative follow-up period ranged from 2 to 38 months with a mean of 15 months. Percentage of excess weight loss was 38.2%, 52.0%, and 63.1% at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively.Conclusions: The proposed technique of LGP would help in standardization of the procedure in order to improve the outcome; however, the clinical application of this proposed standardized technique should be tested by future studies.

scholarly journals Miller-Fisher Syndrome: Are Anti-GAD Antibodies Implicated in Its Pathophysiology?

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioannis E. Dagklis ◽  
Sotirios Papagiannopoulos ◽  
Varvara Theodoridou ◽  
Dimitrios Kazis ◽  
Ourania Argyropoulou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Features ◽  
Gamma Globulin ◽  
Miller Fisher Syndrome ◽  
Acid Decarboxylase ◽  
Gad Antibodies ◽  
Fisher Syndrome ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Neurological Improvement ◽  
Intravenous Gamma Globulin

Miller-Fisher syndrome (MFS) is considered as a variant of the Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) and its characteristic clinical features are ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and areflexia. Typically, it is associated with anti-GQ1b antibodies; however, a significant percentage (>10%) of these patients are seronegative. Here, we report a 67-year-old female patient who presented with the typical clinical features of MFS. Workup revealed antibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) in relatively high titers while GQ1b antibodies were negative. Neurological improvement was observed after intravenous gamma globulin and follow-up examinations showed a continuous clinical amelioration with simultaneous decline of anti-GAD levels which finally returned to normal values. This case indicates that anti-GAD antibodies may be associated with a broader clinical spectrum and future studies in GQ1b-seronegative patients could determine ultimately their clinical and pathogenetic significance in this syndrome.

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